Monster Reborn
by The Otherworlder
Summary: Bruce Wayne gets himself a new business partner. Billy discovers a new power. And everyone becomes embroiled in a conspiracy to master the metaphorical philosopher's stone: the magic of life renewed. Set in Sons universe, Billy Batson is the son of Bruce Wayne and brother of Damian Wayne.
1. Crystal Beacon

AN: I own nothing, no profit but all of the fun, oh yeah. :)

This is a story I have been nursing for a looonnnnggg time, and am posting it now just to tell myself to really focus on it more I suppose. I posted a Justice League/Yugioh 5DS story before, but took it down because I wanted to work more with New 52 comic version of things. Also I wanted this to be a continuation of _Sons_, so here it is.

You don't need to have read _Sons _to enjoy, just know that Billy Batson is the son of the Bat in this story and Damian's half brother. Nor do you need any real deep understanding of either fandom. In fact I think you don't need to know anything about Yugioh to enjoy this. A basic working knowledge of Justice League might help make this more fun though, lol.

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**#1. Crystal Beacon**

Bruce Wayne always had a way of making the headlines. Extravagant affairs, utopian social projects, lucrative but highly controversial business decisions—you name it.

The latest such decision was a collaboration with the famous Fudo Energy Corp of Neo Domino, Ryukyu Republic. It was a multi-billion dollar investment to build three nuclear fusion reactors, which would supposedly power half of the eastern United States at an unimaginably low price. The head of Fudo Energy Corp, Yusei Fudo, was a genius and a revolutionary on the scale of Watt and Tesla; even his most vociferous opponents grudgingly admit it so. Fudo's reactor designs have been tested and proven, supplying cheap electricity to half of East Asia without any incident for almost a decade. But behind this veil of technological splendor lies a haunting shadow more than half a century in the making: there was an unimaginable nuclear catastrophe, a war, a reluctant secession movement, and a terrifying apartheid, looming over the islands of for nearly two decades. All of these was history now, buried, in fact, by the very same Yusei Fudo. The western world still knew very little about Ryukyu Republic, formerly known as Okinawa, and its turbulent past, but this murky cloud was enough to scare off most investors despite the ludicrous profits Fudo Energy Corp could bring in.

Bruce Wayne was not most investors. Did he simply decide the promise of enormous returns was worth a shot working alongside such an unknown? Did he wish to brighten the Gotham so devastated by crimes and gang wars in recent years by any means necessary? Or maybe there was some ulterior motive? None can say. But one can say that even his closest friends did not like this particular decision of his.

The press release at Gotham City's largest convention center may be a glittering Bruce Wayne special filled with fancy dresses and the finest vintage, but at the moment it felt more like a battleground.

"Doctor Fudo, throughout this evening you had stressed the safety features of your fusion reactors, but how do you explain Zero Reverse, a nuclear holocaust so catastrophic it completely destroyed and reshaped your city? I am curious, how _did _you manage to convince fellow residents in Neo Domino to give this destructive technology another chance, and how would you respond to the unease American citizens are feeling right now?"

This particular question came from one Clark Kent, freelance investigative journalist, who despite a career in some two-person blog was still a force to be reckoned with. Kent was a good reporter, but normally not so blunt and acerbic, yet his seemingly impolite questioning garnered many nods, for similar question was on the mind of many.

Yusei Fudo nodded from behind the podium, his face unperturbed and serene. "It is a fair question, Mr. Kent," He said, "What happened thirty years ago in Neo Domino was a tragedy that will never be forgotten. Not only were tens of thousands of lives lost, but the chaos that followed paved way for many years of segregation and oppression, for which I still bear the mark. But surely the human race can learn from its tragedies and then move beyond them. The residents of Neo Domino have moved on. We have rebuilt our cities and we have overthrown the injustice. When I suggested a better power plant thirteen years ago the vast majority cheered on this idea. That is progress."

"The power plants we will build here in the United States are tested and proven; they will be stable, clean, and safe. Even if containment fails there are half a dozen failsafe measures to quickly shut down the reactor core. I cannot promise that there is absolutely no chance of any accident ever happening; I am not a god and cannot guarantee such certainty. But I can promise you that those new power plants will be better and safer than any other nuclear power plant, fission or fusion, out there."

"Doctor Fudo," Another reporter raised his hand and then asked, "It is said you are a household name in Okinawa, indeed most of East Asia, because you were once the champion of a popular card game. Do you think you popularity, in an area completely unrelated to nuclear physics, has enabled you to build and commercialize your power plants, despite the atrocious track record of this particular technology?"

Bruce Wayne raised an eyebrow at the question, partially exaggerating the expression for the numerous cameras in his near vicinity. "Cheap shot," He muttered under his breath, but loud enough for some microphone to pick it up.

And then there was a small sigh from his very discreet earpiece, and the thoughtful voice of his friend floated in. "It was a legitimate shot, Bruce."

Bruce Wayne's retort was barely above silent and only heard by one this time, and his voice was dead serious, with a whiff of impatience. "You will have all the schematics to satisfy yourself with after I sign the contract, Clark."

After the barrage of questions and answers was over, the party began to mingle and chitchat over wine and cheese. Somehow Yusei Fudo and Clark Kent have migrated to the same spot, and now they stood chatting in a seemingly cordial manner. Bruce watched them from a distance for a while, and he was about to turn when he suddenly noticed that Clark was scanning the room discreetly, with a small quizzical frown marring his face.

He was instantly on alert. If Superman was wearing such an expression, one can bet there will be trouble.

"Mr. Kent, Clark!" Bruce said, putting on his best billionaire tycoon smile and walking forward quickly, "Haven't you had your share of the questioning earlier? I hope you aren't planning to scare away my business partner."

Yusei Fudo smiled back at him and said, "No worries, Mr. Wayne. Mr. Kent and I were just having a friendly discussion; I do believe we actually see eye-to-eye on many issues."

It all seemed perfectly ordinary, only that Clark's frown deepened some more, and he seemed strangely pale, eyes almost wavering out of focus. That was simply _ridiculous_; Superman does not ever look like this.

Before Bruce could scan the room for any anomaly himself, a small form ran up to Yusei and called out, "Papa!" The girl child was probably around ten year old, with long black hair and the most beautiful cherubic face and a pair of startling golden eyes. Her slender arms were out stretched, and her little white dress fluttered with her footsteps. She looked like the perfect little angel.

But Bruce narrowed his eyes. The little girl was wearing an armband made of platinum filigree and dozens of crystal pieces carved into the shapes of rose flowers and leaves. Sure, it looked no more than a piece of expensive custom jewelry from an indulgent father, but no gemstone, not even emeralds and the like, should have that brilliant yellow-green color and _glowing_ too_._

And then Bruce saw Clark crashing down to the ground.

His adrenalin suddenly spiked. It was only natural, for Superman _never_ just crash down like that, and if he did, it was a sure sign of the gravest danger. Bruce's hand went for the batarang in his inner pocket almost instinctively, and paused half-way there. He was still Bruce Wayne, and it wasn't as if he could throw a deadly weapon at a ten-year old little girl.

"Mr. Kent!" Yusei exclaimed and put a hand on Clark's arm, but Bruce hauled the reporter up even quicker.

"Excuse me, Fudo-san, let me carry this big fellow," Bruce said while throwing Clark's arm over his shoulder, pulling Clark away as fast as humanly possible.

Once they were some twenty feet away from the Fudos, Clark seemed to regain consciousness. He moaned softly, sounding disoriented. Another twenty feet, and Clark seemed to have a clear head once again. "I feel a little better," He muttered.

"Just for your information, everyone is watching," Bruce said with a low growl, "You better think of an appropriate reaction fast."

"Geez, Bruce, I am fine, thank you for asking," Clark replied drily before standing up straight and saying in a louder voice, "Oh my, that was quite embarrassing. Thank you, Mr. Wayne, thank you very much. I feel a bit better now. I think it's just the heat inside this hall, and then a few more drinks than what I should have had, so I was feeling a little faint there."

"Maybe you should head home earlier too and get some good rest," Bruce said, and it wasn't just for appearance's sake. And then he added in a much lower voice, "Go. The Fudos are not going anywhere, and I will pay them a little visit tonight. You _cannot_ go yourself. I will figure out what this is all about, I promise."

"Just be careful; I will contact the others," Clark murmured, before bumbling out with many apologies.

Batman appeared outside Yusei Fudo's hotel room just before midnight. He peered through the window, and saw Yusei was working in front of his laptop. The little girl was already in bed, tiny arms hugging a big plush toy and sound asleep. She was in her pajamas, but for some reason still wearing that armband of platinum and, well, _kryptonite_.

Batman was very quiet, but somehow Yusei still noticed something. He snapped around and stared out the window. So there was no point in stalling anymore. With one well-placed kick Batman broke open the window and jumped in, barely making any sound. Yusei slammed his laptop shut and stood up, facing Gotham City's famous vigilante.

"To what do I own the pleasure, sir?" He asked calmly.

"Oh no you don't," Batman growled.

Before Yusei could react, he found his wrists bound tightly by the bat-lasso, though not before he had activated his duel disk which was just lying on his desk. The small contraption hummed and glowed, clicking against the desktop, but there was no hope of strapping it on now, Yusei looked at his bound hands and then at the duel disk wistfully.

"That thing on your daughter's arm," Batman said, "Start talking, now, doctor, and don't tell me those glowing rocks are just crystals."

If Yusei had any expectation about why Batman visited him in the middle of the night, this certainly wasn't it. He looked completely stunned for a second, and then hesitated for another second, before suddenly jumping into movement. He curled in on himself slightly and thrust his elbow at Batman's midsection. For someone with his hands bound he was surprisingly agile and balanced. But Batman saw it coming and easily flipped the smaller man onto his back and pinned him by the neck with one arm.

"Don't be stupid, doctor," There was the famous sandpaper and gravel Batman growl, "You might be quick on your feet, but you really think you can give me pause? Now talk, I want to know what your daughter is wearing on her arm and how you came by it!" To put emphasis on his question Batman applied just enough pressure to Yusei's windpipe.

Yusei struggled for a breath of air, before saying quietly, "Is this how you get information? Ever considered more friendly tactics?"

"This works. Now stop wasting time and talk."

Yusei's brows knitted together. He remained silent for a moment, and looked as if he was about to speak, when suddenly a child wailed, "Papa!"

Both men snapped their heads and saw Yusei's young daughter had just woken up. Now the child sat on the bed, staring at them with wide, wide amber eyes.

Finally there was a glitter of fear in Yusei's eyes. It was a strange look on him; somehow it felt like he was not the type to ever be afraid. "No, not here," Yusei said with urgency, "Let's talk somewhere else, Batman, not in front of my daughter!"

At this Batman had the decency to feel a little guilty, but such feeling was short-lived.

"Papa!" The little girl cried out again, and this time her voice sounded angry. Her eyes were so bright they seemed to be almost glowing.

"Don't, Chiharu!" Yusei shouted, before turning to Batman and barked, "Knock her out, do it now!"

"_What_?!"

"Trap set, activate," The girl barely moved, but her voice rang out clear and cold, like the ringing of swords, "_Fiendish Chain_, restrain him!"

Batman suddenly saw a thick metal chain appear from nothingness, wrapping around his waist and pulling him away. Before he had time to react he was caught in a net of chains, trapped like a fly in a spider's nest. He tried to reach for his batarangs, but could not move a single muscle, could barely even draw breaths. He was not just being bound by chains, there was something else, a power stronger than mere steel, binding his every move.

In times like this he could only borrow one of Superman's favorite lines. _I hate magic_.

The little girl was still staring at him, cat-like golden eyes shining with glee.

"Chiharu, don't," Yusei warned his daughter, but the little girl wasn't paying him any attention.

Yusei rolled up, hands still bound, and pounded on his duel disk. The room suddenly came alive with the low hum of machinery and a firework of hologram light show.

"Chiharu," Yusei said steadily from behind the kaleidoscope of light, "What did I say about unleashing your power on unsuspecting people, especially those who are not familiar with duel monsters? Release him, let us talk like civilized people, and don't make me duel you for it."

The little girl said petulantly, "He had an arm on your trachea, father, I wouldn't call that talking like civilized people. He more than deserved the _Fiendish Chain_. "

Yusei sighed and said, "I know you are only trying to defend me, Chiharu, but it is enough. You have displayed what you can do with perfect clarity, anyone should get the message. Let him go."

Father and daughter stared at each other for a long moment, before Chiharu lowered her head. She said in a muffled voice, sniffing, "I am sorry, papa, but at least let me cut that thing on your wrist. Seeing it is one of Mr. Batman's gadgets, I don't think a pair of scissors will cut through it." With that the little girl drew forth a gleaming sword longer than her arm from apparent nothingness.

Yusei looked resigned as he extended his hands towards Chiharu. Once Yusei shook his hands free, he quickly stood up and turned towards the masked vigilante. "Batman, I do not think we are enemies," He said in a firm voice, "I have heard about your doings in Gotham City, and I have heard of the Justice League. Nothing I know of suggests we would be on opposing sides. I beg you to remember that. Chiharu can destroy the trap and set you free, but please, do not attack. I apologize for her actions, but she did it out of self-defense, and it has been difficult for her, trying to control her power. Please, do not make it any more difficult for her. "

With that he turned to his daughter and gave her a meaningful look. The little girl nodded and muttered, "Activate, _Remove Trap_."

Batman heard a loud "clang", and then he saw what looked a _bear trap_ clamping down on one of the chains. Almost immediately he felt himself free of all constraints, standing there as if nothing had ever happened. He took two small leaps back, placed his back against the wall, and stared at father and daughter in front of him, every muscle ready to spring into action.

The staring contest lasted a good half minute, before Yusei said in a low voice, "As for what you came to discuss tonight, this is a… rather delicate situation. My daughter's armband is indeed something unique and powerful; there have been others hunting for it, though I think their reason is not the same as yours, not at all. Can you tell me why you are interested in it, Batman?"

"No." The answer came swiftly in a feral growl.

"I thought you might have some reservations," Yusei murmured, "But if you are indeed so worried about those so-called 'glowing rocks', I can think of only one explanation. I do apologize for this afternoon, but no one could have foreseen such an incident… In that case, I must return to my lab immediately. I need to reconfigure security measures. When I come back I think we must sit down and have a long conversation, Batman; I promise to tell you the whole story then."

Batman eyed the unassuming scientist before him, trying to ascertain just exactly how much this man knew, or guessed. Batman was sure this man did not know his daughter was wearing _kryptonite_ jewelry before; the substance is radioactive and carcinogenic, would any father let his child near it? Now Yusei spoke as if he knew just why those green rocks were dangerous enough to warrant Batman's attention, yet he was in no hurry to remove his daughter's armband. What was he playing at? Bluffing?

"You sound as if you know everything there is to know," The Dark Knight said with narrowed eyes.

"I have a theory that can be easily tested, and I will indeed test it," Yusei said frankly, "I apologize, I do not mean to pry, but I must have enough verified information so I can plan what to do next."

The _last_ thing anyone need was some crazy scientist with kryptonite—a lot of kryptonite—perhaps already aware of Superman's true identity doing any _more_ detective work.

There was a protracted silence again, before Yusei turned and said quietly, "Now, Batman, I really must get going."

And when he turned back Batman was already gone.


	2. Eye of Truth

**#2. Eye of Truth**

Batman stalked into his cave in a mood fouler than usual, only to see his two teenage sons occupying his usual seat in front of the monitors. They looked as if they just returned from patrol. Though unmasked, Damian was still wearing his Robin uniform, and Billy in his brand new suit of black and grey. The two brothers were talking and laughing; obviously their night went exceptionally well.

Feeling the tension occupying his whole form loosen just a little, Batman nonetheless barked out a curt order, "Robin, report."

"The gangs are quiet," Damian answered, "The Penguin's shipment tonight was actually legitimate goods—luxury items from watches to south sea pearls, but no drug and no arms, not even suspicious looking machinery or car parts."

"Well, smuggled goods are hardly legitimate," Billy pointed out with a small laugh.

"Indeed they are not legal goods, but we are Bats, not the IRS."

Batman eyed Billy for a few seconds, before asking in a softer voice, "How are you holding up, Eaglet?"

It has only been three months since Billy started patrolling the streets as a fifteen-year old teenager wearing kevlar, alongside the rest of the Bat family. Operations in Gotham required a certain subtlety and disappearing act, something Captain Marvel simply did not possess. Billy had been wanting to patrol with his father and brother for a long time, but only in recent months did he finally earn the right to take to the streets of Gotham in mask and cape.

Billy blushed a little and murmured, "I think I am holding out okay?"

Damian snorted at that answer and said, "A regular-sized person might feel his punch now, though he will never learn how to handle a jump rope properly. But the kid can fly, so it hardly matters."

"Captain Marvel can fly," Billy corrected his brother, "I can walk up walls and other structures containing ferrous metal by creating a strong magnetic field. Flight magic is rarer than you think."

"Mere technical difference, and that is precisely why you will never swing properly. You have too many ways to cheat. That, and you spend all your time practicing magic instead of acrobatics and proper knockdowns."

To which Billy replied with an abashed look, "All that swinging and fighting stuff is really hard for me; sorry, I will try harder. But practicing magic takes a lot of time and effort too. It's been four years since Ms. Glaukos made me a guardian of Zeus's lightning, and still I can't do everything she used to be able to do. She used to be able to hack every electronic security imaginable, manipulate even clouds, and make the ocean burst into flame—she had an answer for every situation. I need to be like that too, so I can be a proper guardian and put this power to good use. " Towards the end Billy was sounding grave and determined.

"Tt," Damian clicked his tongue, "You and your power-responsibility complex. Wait a second, how do you set the ocean on fire?"

Before Billy could answer, Batman gave him a pointed look, "Electrolysis of salt water and then igniting the hydrogen gas? What on Earth required such a drastic measure? And what could you possibly use for electrodes?"

Billy laughed, "You actually sounded pretty impressed there, father. Ms. Glaukos just used two swords, made a small fire; it wasn't as Hollywood blockbuster as you think. She told me it was for the purpose of proving to a group of centaurs she was who she claimed to be."

"Centaurs," Damian sighed, forehead meeting his palm, "Give me a _break_. I hate magic."

"Electromagnetic power is almost lovable, now if only every strain of magical power showed such respect to the laws of physics," Batman muttered drily, turning towards Billy, "I had a most unpleasant run-in with a little girl tonight, she made iron chains appear from nothing, and then made the chains disappear by setting a bear trap to it. Does that sound familiar to you? Or to Captain Marvel?"

"Chains? Bear trap?" Billy blinked and his brow furrowed. After a moment of thought he asked, "Did the chains and the bear trap look normal? I mean, did the little girl just teleport these objects from somewhere else, or did those things look unnatural themselves?"

"If a bear trap can make iron chains disappear, I highly doubt that's a regular bear trap you get to decorate your cabin," Damian quipped.

"Of course," Billy nodded and continued with questions, "So what did she do? Any strange gestures or was she handling any objects? Did she say anything?"

"She barely moved a finger, only spoke," Batman answered slowly, remembering every detail the moment, "And I think her exact words were 'trap set, activate, fiendish chain, restrain him', before the chains appeared. Would Captain Marvel know anything about this?"

But Billy did not say the familiar word, instead he exclaimed with widened eyes, "Wait, _what?_ Okay, Captain Marvel doesn't know about this, but I do."

The teenager reached out his right hand, palm towards the floor, and made a motion as if smoothing something. "Trap set," He murmured, then paused in that motion for a moment, wearing an expression of concentration, before suddenly reaching out and touching Batman's arm, "Activate. _Fiendish Chain_, spring forth and bind!"

It seemed the cave darkened instantly, the glow of the computer monitors now a bare whisper of light. Thick chains sprang from nothingness, pulling Batman away and holding him midair, like a spider web with its prey. Everything was suspended in nothingness, the chains' ends disappearing into thin air yet still holding taut by some unimaginable force, frighteningly eerie.

"Wow," Billy breathed, as if shocked by this sight he himself just conjured up, "Uh, sorry, I will get rid…"

He never did finish his sentence, for Damian's sword was at his throat.

"If you are not my brother, release him now or I will slit your throat," Damian snarled, "If you are my brother, then you have a _lot _of explaining to do."

The Fudos did not even board a plane. At first Yusei considered buying rush airfares as any normal person would, but Chiharu reminded him the situation at hand warranted the use of _Evacuation Escape Device_. They arrived home only a blink of an eye later, and rushed to the secret lab at Fudo Energy Corp without even stopping for a drink of water. The lab wasn't quite a cave, but it was five levels underground, hidden behind the most secure door and best encryption Yusei Fudo could construct himself.

But once behind secure doors, Yusei was in no hurry to begin intensive analytical work. He simply opened his laptop and began running a sophisticated but nonetheless commonplace facial identification software, the two pictures in question showed Earth's greatest hero Superman and a freelance Internet journalist by the name of Clark Kent.

As points and lines began to form on screen and numbers rolled away, Chiharu said with faint annoyance, "Those two are the same person, papa, we did not need to rush home to confirm this."

Yusei put a hand on the little girl's head and said quietly, "I know you have a good sixth sense, Chiharu, but this kind of thing requires scientific analysis and evidence. We have to be very sure; intuition is just not enough."

"It wasn't just sixth sense," Chiharu protested, "I thought he looked strangely familiar but couldn't figure out why, so I used the _Eye of Truth_ to look at him, and then it became clear as day. He was wearing that Superman suit underneath his dress shirt. You could have just asked me."

Yusei shook his head, near exasperation. "Chiharu, you cannot abuse your power so!" He admonished, "Someone looking strangely familiar is no reason for spying with your power; you must respect people's privacy."

Chiharu did not speak, but her expression seemed to say, "But my suspicion proved important enough to warrant it."

Yusei sighed, feeling at a loss. His daughter was a precocious child, serious and intelligent way beyond her tender years, and she possessed an incredible power, even more complicated than Aki's destructive outbursts as a child. Yusei Fudo may be one of the most influential scientists alive and one of the greatest strategists, but he was still just a man, with neither superhuman intelligence nor magical powers. When he had to break through Aki's shell long ago at least he could claim to share her destiny as a signer, and even then it took many scars he still carried to establish empathy. And with Chiharu? For all his love as a father, Yusei could not always get through to his little girl.

_If only you were here, Aki!_ That thought suddenly surfaced in Yusei's mind, and a tearing pain seared through his chest, as if someone just jammed a blade right between his ribs. It has been more than four years, but the heartache only seemed to intensify with time.

Just then the program completed its analysis and beeped. A mechanical voice chimed, "Subjects one-hundred percent matched, identity confirmed."

A moment of silence, then Yusei said, "_The Eye of Truth_ grants targeted player life points, no? That would not have harmed him."—it wasn't really a question.

"_The Eye of Truth_ would only make him stronger. It has to be the crystals on my armband causing the problem," Chiharu said in a matter-of-fact voice, fingering her armband, "So this accidental byproduct of your fusion reactor not only enhances psychic duelists' power but apparently is also deadly to Kryptonians. Except I thought the so-called kryptonite is harmful to humans, causes cancer like many other radioactive substances."

"That's kryptonite. The reactor 13 crystal is completely harmless to humans and to most life forms we know of. If I did not prove that satisfactorily to myself I would have scraped that reactor design long ago, even if it is only an occasional byproduct. "

Yusei switched over to the main computer terminal in his lab and began opening old research files. As he pored over screen after screen of charts and graphs he murmured, "I considered one hypothesis before, that the paired gluon-quark emission from unstable tetraneutrons in this substance can cause certain biochemical compounds to degrade. But experiments show only the strangest lab-created compounds of impossible length and formation being affected, so I let it go. And now this alien superhero comes along…" He dragged a hand across his face.

Chiharu asked with interest, "So why does this crystal help psychic duelists enhance and control their power?"

Yusei gave her a wry look before shaking his head, "I don't know, Chiharu; I am a scientist, not an occult expert."

"So speaks the once-vassal of Quetzalcoatl who defeated ancient evil gods."

"I had no power and kept my distance from all the mysticism. To me it was just dueling with high stakes," Yusei put a hand on his right arm, where the mark of the Crimson Dragon used to be. He leaned down and looked at his daughter with an intense and faintly sad expression, "I am sorry, Chiharu, perhaps I can never understand what it is like to be given such power the way you are. But please, let me help you however I may. Tell me everything, don't keep any of it bottled up. Even if all I can do is listen, then I shall listen without even blinking. Will you do that for your papa?"

So the little girl hugged her father, "Please don't worry about me, papa."

_How can I not worry? _Yusei sighed soundlessly. But he only gave his daughter small smile and said, "Why don't you go add some spells and traps on the bottom floor? We have enough crystals down there to warrant extra caution. I will be here doing some more encryption for old research files. When it is all finished let's head back to America."

Chiharu nodded, "I will go set up something."

"But no _Bottomless Traphole, _no_ Torrential Tribute_, and no _Mirror Force_," Yusei said sternly, "Certainly no _Chain Destruction_ nor _Chain Disappearance. _Nothing that will wrack up a body count. I want you to embrace your power, but you cannot abuse it."

"Yes, I promise, papa. Since I am going to the bottom floor anyway, can I go see mother?"

Yusei's hands froze above the keyboard for a few moments, and then he said in a very low voice, "Of course, Chiharu."

Chiharu stepped into the elevator. As the machinery inside the elevator took her every biometric reading imaginable, she called out, "This is Chiharu Fudo, take me to floor BTW."—Indeed there was no button inside the elevator for the bottom floor; only the voice command of the choice few could open up the hidden depth.

The elevator recognized her command and moved towards the deep. On the way down Chiharu carefully planted two _Wire Tap _inside the elevator, adding to the _Imperial Order_ already locking out all spells, just in case anyone wished to interfere with the electronics inside the elevator. When the elevator stopped and the door slid open one could see the hidden floor was like a bank vault. Chiharu planted _Skill Drain_ just outside of the elevator door with a flick of her wrist, but she seemed to find such unsatisfactory, so a pause later she murmured, "Activate, _Stumbling_!"

And then she opened the vault door and entered. The steel wrought safes behind the door stored Fudo Energy Corp's most important research files, material samples, and some experimental designs. Most of the objects here contained alarming weaponization potential, hence their secretive burial. There was already a _Swords of Burning Light _spell activated in the vault, so Chiharu simply moved towards the back. At the back a small passage leads to a second vault, with no less than _three _vault doors in between. As Chiharu passed the three doors she set a _Waboku _to each. The second vault was significantly larger; there were no safes, only various prototypes or canceled projects sitting on the floor or hanging from the ceiling. Chiharu quickened her steps, hastily throwing down two _Compulsory Evacuation Device _as she raced across this vault, before she stopped at yet another vault door.

The third and final vault was large yet all but empty. The floor was completely covered with thousands of pieces of synthetic crystal, every shard glowing faintly green. An open mahogany coffin sat at the center of the vault, as if awaiting that final parting look from loved ones before sinking deep into the earth. It would have been a lonely and melancholic sight, but green vines and bright flowers danced around the coffin, growing, blooming, and then winking out of existence, their unnatural presence eerily beautiful. As Chiharu approached the coffin a tiny sprite with two pairs of wings and rose petals for hair flew up to her and greeted her with a laugh.

"Good to see you again, _Rose Fairy_," Chiharu reached a hand towards the winged spirit.

Another bell-like laugh, and the sprite vanished into thin air. That hardly surprised Chiharu, she simply walked up to the coffin, leaned against the side, and looked down at her mother.

The woman in the coffin was in the full bloom of her most glorious years, shrouded in pale blue silk and beautiful as the moon. Her skin was smooth and snow white like the finest porcelain, her long wine-colored hair seemed to glow with an innate light. She looked as if simply asleep.

Chiharu reached for a cold, dead hand and held it tightly. "Mama, I am here to see you again," The little girl said, "I can't stay long; papa and I are heading back to America soon. Papa's business is going well, though we did run into some interesting issues. Justice League, you have heard of them, right? But you don't have worry about us. You know papa can handle anything, and I have been getting better with my power. We will work it out, and then I can come and tell you the story. I might take some pictures when I have the chance, so when you come back you can see everything for yourself. I know you will come back, mama."

Then the little girl released her mother's hand and left the hidden grave behind her.

It has been more than four years since Aki Fudo, nee Izayoi, was declared dead.


	3. HERO City

**AN: Sorry about the realllllyyyy late update. This story is definitely still going; I am just not making as much progress as I like. Also there are important real life things I need to keep on tract so... But here is another chapter, and I will definitely try my hardest to update sooner! Thank you for all the reviews and hope you enjoy this chapter too.**

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"Wow, Da… Damian!" Billy threw up both hands, looking at the blade nervously, "Come on, it really is me."

"Remove those chains _now_."

"Right, right. Spell activate, _Remove Trap_. Uh…"

An evil looking bear trap appeared, but it looked immaterial, almost like an extremely convincing hologram. Billy breathed out a small sigh; he looked as if he want to shrug, but such a gesture would be very dangerous considering the sharp sword still at his neck. So he spoke while shooting Damian desperate looks, "Look, you kind have to remove the sword for me to do this properly. _Remove Trap _targets, you know? I need to touch the target, which means I have to touch those chains."

Damian was still eyeing Billy with ample suspicion, but Batman said from mid-air, "Damian, get your sword out of the way. He is you brother."

"How can you be sure?" Damian protested, but he moved his sword away, even if reluctantly.

Billy jumped towards where Batman still hung mid-air, pulled up by an unseen force. (It was probably just his magnetic field, though such an explanation raised another interesting question: magical chains being affected by magnetism now?) Billy tapped one of the chains, and instantly the bear trap seemed to clench down on the chains. There was nary a warning before both disappeared into the nothingness from whence they came. Batman dropped into a crouching position with practiced ease, but Billy all but tumbled out of the air. After a surprised yelp, he did manage to land on his feet; there were visible bolts of electricity crackling by his feet.

"Careful," Batman gave his son a stern look, "Even the best surge protectors can't stand you."

"Yeah," Billy blushed.

"The little girl I ran into did not need to touch anything for the magic to go off. She touched neither me nor the chains. And when she used that spell I could not move a single muscle, not even to speak. Yours did not feel quite as constricting."

"Oh. _Oh,_" Billy sounded genuinely shocked, "You couldn't even speak when trapped by _Fiendish Chain_? Wow, she really is very powerful. And can you really target without physically touching the target? I tried targeting by naming before, doesn't really work, and she didn't even name anything, did she?"

"That's already too many details. You can start with explaining the big picture; It seems like you owe us a very long explanation," Batman said with a stern and pointed look.

"Right, of course," Billy blushed, and he began with a touch of nervousness, "You guys know that trading card game I started playing two, almost three years ago? The one that had me running off to gaming conventions in summer? That one. So apparently some players can make the monsters and magic from the game real; psychic duelists, that's what those players are called. _Fiendish Chain_ and _Remove Trap_ are both cards from that game. I guess I am one of those psychic duelists?"

There was a prolonged silence, a "you have got to be kidding me" or "not this again" sort of silence. Then Batman sat himself down in front of the computer and ran a few simple searches. Indeed, the first image that jumped up for _Fiendish Chain_ is a game card, and there were enough urban legends and Internet discussions about those so-called psychic duelists. After a few moments of studying the images on screen, Batman turned back towards Billy and said, "Show me more."

"Um, okay…"

Billy flicked his wrist, and a fireball appeared above his palm.

"_Sparks_, a spell card that does direct damage, probably every psychic duelist's first spell to try."

He gathered his hand into a fist to snuff out the fireball, and when he opened his palm once more four multicolored stuffed goat toys appeared in the air, except those fluffy "toys" seemed to be living creatures, if one could really consider such magical beings alive.

"_Scapegoat_, a spell to, you know, summon those goats, generally for protection against attacks, but sometimes for other plays as well. Goat control was a thing."

The teenager flicked his wrist again, and the goats disappeared. Billy seemed to hesitate for a while, as if considering, but in the end he murmured, "Summon, _Minerva, Lightsworn Maiden._"

There was a soft glow, then a young girl in flowing white Grecian robe stepped out of the ripple of light. She was about Billy's height, with a pair of startlingly blue-grey eyes. Her bright coppery hair was bound by glittering gold, and a large snowy owl also decked with golden ornaments stood on her arm. Upon seeing Billy the owl hooted happily and landed on his shoulder, rubbing a feathery head against Billy's face.

"Glad to see you again, Champion," The girl greeted Billy, "Is there aught wrong? Do you need my help? You know there is little I can do alone, but I am more than happy to help you call out others."

"Hey Min, good to see you too, and I'm fine, it's not some imminent threat. I just want you to meet some people. Uh, I kind have to explain to them about you guys and everything."

"Ah," The young girl turned and looked at Batman and Robin, her face lit up with a smile, "Your father and brother, I presume? Greetings and well met, descendants of Odysseus, he who was dearest of mortals to my heart."

"Wait, _what_?" Damian's shock was too great and he could no longer maintain his father's stoic silence, "Are you really who the name says you are? You are just a little girl! And you were gone…Since when did you… No way."

The girl laughed while the large owl hooted softly. She answered, "I am not quite Pallas Athena. I am only a memory, a reflection, a small shard of her essence. She knows everything I know, but I do not have all the knowledge Zeus's daughter holds. Long ago Michael the Arch-Lightsworn sought out Zeus's daughter and requested aid in his war, so she took a small part of herself and reshaped it to become a follower of Michael and a denizen of Michael's world, forever guarding and watching. I am not even her only manifestation; there is another, I think."

"That would be_ Athena_, the fairy one," Billy added, "Thank you for the explanation, Min, I will talk to you some other time."

After the girl and her owl vanished, Billy looked towards his father and muttered quietly, "To be honest, she was what first attracted me to the game, she and _Athena_. Every time I hold those cards in my hand, it almost feels like I can sense Ms. Glaukos somehow. At first I just thought it was because I missed her so anything remotely related to her would give me that feeling, so I just played and enjoyed the game. It really is a lot of fun, almost addictive. I did hear rumors about psychic duelists, but never really paid those stories too much attention. Then one day I discovered I can bring cards to life. I didn't care about other things, but I really wanted to speak to _Athena_, and to Min there; I wanted to know if it is actually _her_. So I practiced and practiced until finally one day I succeeded."

After another long silence, Batman finally ground out a line, "You never breathed a word of this to us."

"I… I am sorry, father, but it all happened in the past couple months, and I just didn't know what I can tell you exactly. At first the things I could do were trivial, and when my power got stronger I just became more confused. Captain Marvel doesn't even know much about this magic; he only ever heard telltale rumors. I still don't know much about it, and I don't even really know everything I can do. Like that _Fiendish Chain_ just now? My first time, had no idea how it would turn out."

There was another long silence. Then Batman spoke with an almost imperceptible sigh, "We need a protocol regarding you discovering more magical power. We can all do without these surprises in the future. But for now I need every piece of information you can give me about this card game and psychic duelists. What do you know about Yusei Fudo?"

"Yusei Fudo?" Billy's brow furrowed with thought, "You mean your new business partner—this is all about him? Well he is a legendary duelist, current 'King of Games'; I mentioned it before, right? But I really don't know any more details. And I don't know anything about psychic duelists other than they exist. The thing is, I never had the time to play this game too seriously; a couple gaming conventions a year is not really enough to become involved with the community and actually know stuff."

"So somehow you have terrifying power based on a card game yet you know next to nothing about this gaming community and its rumors," Damian said, giving his brother a half-annoyed, half-suspicious look.

Billy shrugged helplessly and added, "Well, I can go ask around? I do have some friends who are really into the game…"

"No," Batman cut him off abruptly, "Bruce Wayne's son does not need even a rumor of superpower. No one is to know what you can do. I will take care of it; there is someone I can talk to. You two, pack up and go to sleep."

As Batman swept away Billy turned to Damian and mouthed silently, _he knows everything_.

* * *

In a shadowed back alley of Gotham City, the same old violence was replaying.

"No, no, that's all I have!" The dark-skinned woman begged, "Please don't take everything. My child is sick! He needs medicine and good food, please, I beg you!"

"Oh shut up," One of the muggers brandished the knife in his hand.

His accomplice raised his head from the money counting, eyed the woman, and said, "Let's get the hell out of here, Bud, before anyone shows up."

They barely took a few steps forward, when a young and rough voice said, "Guess what, someone is already here, and seriously, you guys mug a single mother who works two jobs? Why not go steal from Bruce Wayne, I'll only cheer you on."

The thugs brandished their knives. "Who is there?!"

A wiry youth stepped out of the shadows. He was probably in his late teens, Asian, tall but scrawny, wearing black jeans and an over-sized red sport jacket, with a red baseball cap on his head covering half of his face. He stood there, looking at the two burly thugs, smirking with strange confidence.

"Don't be ridiculous," the thug called Bud said, "This is not your fight, so get lost, or we will shred you."

"Yeah?" Red Cap laughed and said, "You give back that lady's money, and I will let you guys go free. Or else. You get only one warning."

The two thugs exchanged a look, and began laughing uproariously. "Only one warning? And then what, you are going to call the police and tell?"

"Not the police," Red Cap took out a deck of cards from his pocket and began shuffling, "I am going to call out something far worse." He stopped shuffling and flipped over the top card of the deck and shouted, "Summon, come on out, _Brotherhood of the Fire Fist—Bear_!"

There was a burst of bright red flame, and an ancient oriental warrior accompanied by a great fiery bear appeared. Warrior and bear stood in the middle of the narrow alley, blocking the entire path and glowering. The two thugs looked derisive at first, until a bloom of fire caught Bud's sleeve and burned, nearly taking out the entire shirt sleeve before being put out.

"You, you, you…" Bud suddenly started stuttering, losing all confidence, "It's, it's you, the _Fire Fist_, you, you are real!"

Red Cap—or one should say, Fire Fist—smirked, "I am indeed yours truly. Now give back the money and scram, this _really_ is your last warning."

After the thugs scrambled away and the woman departed with her money and many thanks, Fire Fist laughed and was about to leave as well, when a deep voice muttered from the shadows behind him, "So this is what the rumor is about. Mind if I ask you a few questions, _Fire Fist_?"

Fire Fist snapped around, hand already in his pocket, and found a tall shadow looming over him. A large hand held his wrist in an iron grip, keeping his hand stuffed in his own pocket. "I am sure you can call out that thing even with your hand in your pocket," The Dark Knight of Gotham said calmly, "But it really isn't necessary. I am just here to talk."

Fire Fist eyed him warily, before pulling his mouth into a wry grin. "Hey Batman," He said cheekily, "You aren't here to recruit me for the Justice League, are you?"

The answer came swift and unexpected, "No, but apply when you are eighteen if you are interested."

"Er," Fire Fist now looked distinctively uncomfortable, "I was kidding, just kidding, that would totally be a bad idea. Can we just talk about whatever you came to see me for?"

"Yes, let's start with that; tell me what you just did there and what you know about this power."

Fire Fist's story wasn't a very long one. He was just a kid obsessed with a card game and woke up one day to find himself with the power to conjure up living, breathing monsters.

"I can't do _every_ card or even every monster in the game," Fire Fist had hastened to add, "I can only summon _Brotherhood of Fire Fist_ monsters, and even then not all monsters of the archetype, only my favorite that I use in my deck—that's _Bear, Gorilla, _and_ Dragon_;_ Tiger King_ on a good day too, but I need to have two other monsters on board before I can attempt to call out _Tiger King_, kind like how it works in the game. And as for spell and trap cards, I have tried, but nothing much came out of it. I can do _Fire Formation _cards, which aren't real spells in a sense, only support for my monsters. I heard there are only a select few powerhouses who can manifest real, generic spells and traps like _Fiendish Chain_ or _Forbidden Lance_. Still, the most powerful cards, things like _Monster Reborn_ and _Soul Charge_, I am not sure _anyone_ can manifest these. That would literally be the power to raise the dead."

"There are many of those so called _psychic duelists_?" Batman did not sound pleased with this idea.

"Not that many. Based on rumors around the community, I'd say anywhere between a few dozen to around a hundred here in North America."

"A few dozen across the continent is indeed many, yet somehow the world has barely heard anything about your lot, and none of you has stepped forward to do either good or evil with your powers."

Fire Fist shrugged, "Well, I am not sure we can play with the big leaguers. You know, I am already considered powerful among psychic duelists, since I can bring out _Bear _in the flesh, and he is a plenty strong monster, with the ability destroy any opponent as long as there is the proper support. But I don't think that's enough to fight any of you. Most psychic duelists can probably manifest a fireball or a rabbit with wings, and that'd be it." He paused a moment, before laughing again, "That's why I only take on muggers and petty thieves, Batman, and leave the likes of Joker and Poison Ivy to you. And if that's it, I really should be going? The place I am staying at does have a curfew."

Batman gave the youngster a plain "as if you would care about curfew" look, before asking, "There is one more thing: what do you know about Doctor Yusei Fudo?"

"Yusei Fudo? You mean the current King of Games? Um, he is a great duelist, probably _the_ greatest there is? He is not in any pro circuit, but he stands a step higher than all of them. Once in a while he will answer challenges to defend his title, and in the last fifteen years no one, and I mean not a single soul, could ever defeat him, not even once. Practically a god in the dueling world."

Batman's mouth curled into a small frown as he pursued with another question, "But he is not a psychic duelist?"

"No, I don't think he is. But in a way he is more powerful than any psychic duelist out there."

"Explain."

"Well, psychic duelists are still duelists; our power is closely tied to the game," Fire Fist answered, "When I call out _Bear_ I am submitting myself to every rule that binds the players; so if my enemy challenges me to a proper duel, I will have to accept. Once a duel is on my power becomes less meaningful. Sure, _Bear_ can still inflict real, physical damage in a duel and create a world of hurt, but I still have to play the game and win it. No psychic duelist, no matter how powerful, would ever think of attacking Yusei Fudo; he will just challenge you to a duel and one-turn-kill you so fast that every power becomes useless. He did defeat the _Black Rose Witch_."

"The _Black Rose Witch_?"

Fire Fist's expression now looked a mixture of fascination, admiration, and just a touch of fear, "Only the most legendary psychic duelist. Aki Izayoi, or Aki Fudo I should say. Yes, she was Yusei Fudo's wife. You know I have a friend who actually met her at one point, at a major tournament, and has a signed picture to prove it. She is an incredible duelist, and so sexy, probably every guy's dream girl..." After Batman grunted to remind him to stay on point Fire Fist added, "Though I am not sure everything they say she can do is true."

"What do they say about her? What can she do?" Batman asked.

"Everything," Fire Fist answered with a grimace, "She is the controller of _Black Rose Dragon_, a one-of-a-kind card and one of the most powerful synchro monsters ever created; it can choose to destroy _everything_ when it's summoned, and it can also reduce the power of other monsters to 0. The ability to manifest such a monster in real life already put her on a power level of her own. People have seen her manifest spells and traps too, anything from _Black Garden_ to _Nature's Reflection_. They say she is so powerful she can manifest just about _anything_ in the game, every big shot monster, every powerful spell and trap. I am not sure if I really believe that, but she was certainly the most powerful psychic duelist ever lived, no doubt about _that_."

Here Fire Fist paused and frowned, before shaking his head and speaking with regret, "She passed away four years ago. It was quite the big news in the dueling community then. Even I sent a mushy condolence fan boy letter all those years ago. Now thinking of it, that's kind of embarrassing… Though, why are _you_ of all people interested in this, Batman?"

Batman gazed at the young man for a long time, before saying, "If you kept up with current news, you should know that Doctor Yusei Fudo is in town with his daughter."

Fire Fist eyed Batman with interest, "So what did _Black Rose Witch_'s daughter do to you?"

Batman said drily, "You said your lot isn't powerful enough to make yourselves known, and then ask what the little girl did to _me_."

Fire Fist shrugged again, but his expression grave, "If she is anything like her mother then she is in a league of her own."

But Batman was already gone, as if he had never appeared in the first place.

Fire Fist blinked very slowly in the dark empty alley, and then he shuddered.


	4. Ivy Shackle

Bruce Wayne received a call from his business partner the very next morning after the rather unfortunate first encounter between Yusei Fudo and Gotham's caped vigilante.

"Mr. Wayne, we need to talk," Yusei said, "There is one detail about my Momentum reactors that I have never mentioned to you before. I did not consider that particular detail important, until the incident last night at the after party proved me wrong. And let me be very frank, Mr. Wayne, I think this issue concerns you even beyond our joint business venture, so I would like you to know. Is there a secure place for us to talk?"

Bruce was silent for a long moment, and at last he said, "Thank you for your candidness, Dr. Fudo. I am curious what detail could go unmentioned for so long and suddenly became important overnight. Such thing is no good for business, Doctor, and I am beginning to have second thoughts. But in any case, a car will pick you up at the hotel and bring you to Wayne Manor. I will see you soon."

Fudo's words rang ominous. He mentioned last night's incident, so he was probably ready to discuss the kryptonite issue, one way or another, but why would he call up Bruce Wayne and talk about nuclear reactors? Was Fudo Energy Corp's nuclear fusion technology connected with kryptonite somehow? Did the man suspect Bruce Wayne and Batman being one of the same, or was he really so unconcerned he was ready to share information about _kryptonite _with a business partner in any case?

_This meeting will be interesting to say the least_, Bruce thought grimly to himself.

After dropping off the boys at school, Alfred himself took the limo to Dr. Yusei Fudo's hotel. They did not return at the expected hour, instead Bruce received from a phone call from Alfred.

"Sir, we are at the corner of 28th street and 5th Avenue, surrounded by police and reporters, more are still coming in. We were waylaid by Poison Ivy," Alfred reported, "Doctor Fudo is quite alright, but Poison Ivy took the little girl."

"You have got to be _kidding_ me," Bruce growled, "I am on my way."

"Ah, it would indeed be very welcome if you can come and deal with the press and the authorities, sir. Doctor Fudo is quite out of it, and I don't think an imminent rescue mission is possible or even necessary."

That would be the old butler's way of subtly suggesting "come as Bruce Wayne, not Batman". Bruce paused for a second. Alfred sounded strangely unconcerned for a kidnapping involving Poison Ivy, or at least unconcerned about the taken girl. Now he had a moment to think about it, indeed the entire thing felt off. If the little Fudo girl could completely immobilize Batman with a single line, there is no reason why she couldn't put up a long fight against Poison Ivy. How was she kidnapped? Was the little girl's power unstable or unsustainable, or perhaps Poison Ivy took them by surprise? There was no point simply thinking about it; he as well hit the scene and conduct some PR damage control.

Upon arrival Bruce Wayne found an overgrown city block, with flowers and leaves and thorns and plant matter of every kind taking over the once bare concrete, crawling up walls and windows and covering the road surface. Despite the sudden burst of unnatural flora there was little property damage, neither crumbling walls nor broken pieces of concrete, barely any glass shard. So whatever happened was a show of force rather than a real fight. Bruce's eyes narrowed. That Fudo girl did not put up any fight, even though she was more than capable of doing so. Alfred was still dealing with the police and a couple persistent journalists, but Yusei Fudo stood apart from the crowd, alone in the middle of this unnatural garden, staring out with a blank and lost expression on his face.

"Doctor Fudo!" Bruce Wayne called while walking onto the scene, "I heard little Chiharu has been taken… What a terrible ordeal! I came as quickly as I could. Please, tell me what happened; what does Poison Ivy want? Money? Arms? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Yusei murmured, eyes unfocused, "I am glad you arrived, Mr. Wayne. It seems this Poison Ivy is against our nuclear power project. She said she would not let me destroy Gotham like how my father destroyed Neo Domino. Apparently I must make a public announcement with you canceling all projects. If no announcement is forthcoming in three days' time she will send Chiharu back, in pieces, so she said." Yusei drew a hand across his eyes, then he added in a low voice, "Your housekeeper has been kind enough to answer the police's questions, and I think it should be more than enough. Can we leave this place? I do not want to stay long enough to deal with the FBI. We need to talk, Mr. Wayne, somewhere quiet and secure."

So Bruce patted the man on the shoulder and said in a voice just loud enough for all the reporters to pick up, "But of course, Doctor, let us go back to my place for some quiet and calm, and then we will figure what to do, together." It was an appropriate gesture from Bruce Wayne the billionaire and businessman, but in truth he was more irked than sorry. Yusei Fudo was not at all concerned about his daughter, so either this kidnapping was simply a show, or else something even stranger was going on.

Another twenty minutes later they were sitting inside a richly furnished meeting room in Wayne Manor, enclosed by sound-proof walls and a secure door.

"We are somewhere appropriate for conversation, so start talking." This was one of the very rare times when Bruce Wayne in his Sunday best still growled and sounded like the Batman.

"I don't think this particular run-in with Poison Ivy is related to any other issue," Yusei seemed to have sorted through his emotions. He said in a smooth voice as he sipped his green tea, "I heard Poison Ivy is an environmental fanatic of sorts, and when she spoke to me she only ever did talk about our project, so I think she is only interested to terminate our nuclear power plants, no more. As for Chiharu, she is powerful enough to handle herself, even if against Poison Ivy. You know what she can do."

Here his voice lowered, "She wanted to go with Poison Ivy, so I am sure she will be fine. She will come back when she is ready."

_You know what she can do? What does that supposed to mean, what does this Yusei Fudo suspect?_

But Bruce did not even have the luxury to ponder this particularly question, instead he asked with incredulity, "She _wanted _to go with Poison Ivy?"

Yusei did not respond. Bruce stared at the man before him, watching those ever-serene blue eyes overflow with pain and misery, suddenly the image of a beautiful, voluptuous red-haired woman, hastily glanced at on the Internet, flashed in his head. He whispered with a sudden new understanding, "Poison Ivy. _Black Rose Witch_."

Yusei put a hand over his eyes and whispered, "Yes, the resemblance is there. Poison Ivy has green eyes, not like Aki's amber eyes, and she carries herself differently, but by Kami, she certainly looks like Aki, the hair, the face, the figure, even the same command over vines and flowers… When she spoke to me I couldn't say a single word in response, and I could not move to hinder her. I am sorry for not doing anything, and I apologize for Chiharu."

"Mr. Wayne, Chiharu may not say it to me," Yusei dropped his hand and looked at Bruce once more, "But I know she still wants her mother back, more than anything else in the world."

* * *

Poison Ivy carried the young daughter of Yusei Fudo in her arms. A ten-year old girl would be hard to carry for most women, but not so for Poison Ivy, who was no longer completely human. In fact it was probably easier and more secure to carry her, lest the little child tries something stupid to get away and hurt herself in the process. But strangely the little girl was quite calm, even content, in Poison Ivy's arms; she clung to the half-plant woman like a child would her real mother.

"What is your name, you little thing?" Poison Ivy asked, now curious about the child.

"My name is Chiharu," Replied the girl happily, as if this wasn't a kidnapper and hostage situation, "It means 'a thousand springs'. Don't you think it's a very nice name?"

"Is that what the name means? It is indeed quite beautiful," Poison Ivy said, "Your mother named you, didn't she? Your father really doesn't strike me as one who would appreciate springs."

Chiharu giggled and said, "Papa wanted to name me 'Ryusei', which means dragon star, after an old friend. But mama wouldn't let him. Mama said a little girl needs a good girl's name, pretty and flowery. But of course naming me 'flower' or even a specific kind of flower is too cliché, so mama said 'Chiharu' will do."

"Most women appreciate flowers," Poison Ivy commented coolly, "But do they appreciate the plants themselves and this Earth that gives life to them? If your mother was a true friend of flowers, she would not have married a man like your father."

Poison Ivy didn't really expect a ten-year old to understand her words, but Chiharu looked back at her unflinchingly and said, "My mother was called the _Black Rose_. She loved plants and was loved by them, just like you. She could make anything grow, and flowers would bloom for her, anywhere and anytime; she had a profound connection to the earth. My father is not like her, but he is not an enemy of the earth. His technology helps the environment, you know. Nuclear fusion reactors are efficient and clean, and they can replace the much more harmful fossil fuel."

Poison Ivy eyed the serious little girl, before laughing out loud. "Aren't you adorable? Listen to all those big words, 'profound' now? Is that why you came with me without any fuss, you little thing, to soften me up towards your father and his plans? Ain't gonna happen, pumpkin, not even for someone as cute as you."

"No, not that," Chiharu clung to Poison Ivy even more tightly and said in a muffled voice, "You look just my mother, Ivy. I know you are not her, but I can't help it."

Poison Ivy stiffened, suddenly feeling as if she didn't know how to move her hands and feet anymore. She used to scorn those who say it is in a woman's nature to love children. Why, she saw nothing lovable about children! Though it had been a while (or perhaps, never) since she last held a child this close, but she was sure they were all noisy and incorrigible, a bunch of self-centered brats running amuck. Those few times when she did appear before the public and interacted with the crowds (does one-sided destruction and killing count as interaction?), children ran away from her screaming and crying. But this child clinging to her just said she looks like _mother_.

Really now.

Poison Ivy didn't speak for a while, moving swiftly among the skyscrapers of Gotham City. Eventually she said mockingly, "Trying to charm your way out of this one, you little sly thing? Is that what your parents taught you to do with kidnappers? It's not going to work, pumpkin. But you don't have to worry. As long as your daddy does what I ask, I won't touch one hair on that pretty head of yours."

Chiharu sighed with a wistfulness most unbefitting of a ten-year old, but she stayed quiet this time. It was only when the two left Gotham City behind and seemed to be heading into the mountains that Chiharu finally asked, "Where are we going?"

"My home," Poison Ivy said with a chuckle, "You will have to brace yourself, pumpkin, because my place will truly test your love for green and growing things."

They finally stopped deep inside the mountains, beside a small secluded lake surrounded by a ring of green hills. Here it was cooler than inside Gotham City, and the sky clearer. Trees and bushes and grasses of every sort grew around the lake. There were the typical strong, ancient trees, oaks and birches and maples, as well as wild roses, berry groves, and many things _much_ more exotic: Venus fly traps standing taller than a man, pitcher plants large enough to trap a child, thorny vines creeping and crawling everywhere. It was the perfect image of horror and most people would be shaking and crying, but Chiharu let loose a cry of delight. She jumped down from Poison Ivy's arms and ran from one terrifying plant to another, looking at everything with wonder. She would speak to each plant in turn, even touching them, as if they were no more than family dogs. Amazingly, nothing snapped off her hand as Poison Ivy expected.

"It's been a while since I've seen plants like these, Ivy, so thank you!" Chiharu said happily, giving Poison Ivy a bright grin that was quite unlike her serious self, "Papa wouldn't let me have any, he said I can't control them well and they can hurt other people. Only mama knows how to handle them and she would show me her plants when I was little, let me play with them. I grew up with them, in fact. But mama isn't here anymore, and papa still won't let me have any of my own. It's been more than four years…" Her voice fell slowly, and the joy ran dry.

"Well, you are welcome to play with them however you like while you are here, pumpkin," Poison Ivy said, and then for image's sake decided to add a threat, "Of course if you lose a finger or an arm, I can't kiss it better. I will just have to send any lost appendage to your father to better encourage him about our deal."

For some reason this rather gruesome threat made Chiharu smile again. She nodded at Poison Ivy and returned to the myriad of monster plants. Poison Ivy watched the little girl hum and dance around those green monsters and suddenly felt a tide of tenderness wash over her. How could she remain unmoved? Finally there was another who appreciates her seemingly monstrous and terrifying plants. And of course, the little Fudo girl really was _adorable_.

Poison Ivy returned to her own communion with the earth; she was no longer watching Chiharu. For some reasons she wasn't afraid of the little girl running away, and what if Chiharu did? Poison Ivy didn't really care anymore. Some hours later she saw the little girl emerge from behind a curtain of green vines.

"Hey, Ivy, I was wondering," Chiharu asked, "Are we going to have lunch?"

Poison Ivy chuckled again and said lazily, "I don't need food, but if you are hungry, help yourself to any fruit you fancy, just be gentle with the plants, or lose an arm at your own peril."

Chiharu eyed her with vibrant curiosity, "You don't need food? But you don't run on photosynthesis either, do you? I mean, you are not green. Unless those leaves on you are real? They just didn't feel very real. But even if they are, I don't see how those leaves can be enough to power someone your size. Though supposedly Superman can also convert sunlight into energy too, and obviously the process is not photosynthesis, but he is also alien. Ivy, you are Earth-born, aren't you?"

"Photosynthesis?" Poison Ivy laughed, "My, you do like those big words, don't you? That's quite enough, young lady, be quiet and let me be. Didn't your mother ever tell you that you talk too much?"

Chiharu gave her a bright smile that also seemed profoundly sad. "Of course," The little girl said, "Mama always said I talk too much, and only mama would say it. No one had told me that in a long time, Ivy. "

Chiharu spent a lovely day at Poison Ivy's hidden abode. She ran wild in the midst of those monstrous plants, completely unafraid and seemingly oblivious of the fact she has actually been kidnapped. Poison Ivy didn't have the heart to terrify the child as a proper kidnapper should, and nothing seemed to scare Chiharu anyway, so the plant-woman decided to cut herself some slack and simply enjoy having this strange child around.

When night has fallen Chiharu sat down and watched the moon rise from behind the faraway hills with Poison Ivy. She seemed quieter; even the shadowed exuberance wasn't there anymore. Had Poison Ivy known the child before, she would see that the little girl was returning to her serious melancholy self.

Just when Poison Ivy was about to tell her to go to sleep, Chiharu suddenly said, "You told my father he has three days. Ivy, I don't think he will give you three days. Or rather, he will not give _me _three days. I think I should go back."

Poison Ivy blinked. Yes, there was still that. So she laughed and patted the little child's face. "Don't worry, pumpkin. You father seems like a good daddy, so he will do his part to make sure you don't get hurt, won't he?"

Chiharu shook her head very slowly and said, "No, he will not do what you want. You shocked him yesterday so he let me go with you. But he will probably come tonight and… Ivy, will you go with me to see him? Go talk to him?"

"What?"

"Talk to my father," Chiharu said with utmost seriousness, "You don't have to do this, Ivy. Go talk to my father, I am sure he can convince you, please."

Poison Ivy put a hand on the little girl's neck. She began very slowly, saying, "You listen here, little brat, for all the sport you have been, I am not about to forget my point. You are a _hostage_, here to ensure your father's cooperation, so it's high time you start acting like it. I am not your mother. I will not go talk to your father. And if he doesn't do exactly as I ask, I _will_ cut off a little finger of yours and send it to him." Even as she spoke Poison Ivy had to ask herself, would she really? Would she really hurt this child in front of her? Killing and maiming never gave her pause before, but now a part of her felt completely repulsed by the idea.

Chiharu stared at her for a few minutes, and then she suddenly burst into tears. "You are not mother, I know that," She cried out, "But I don't want you to be an enemy either. I don't want you to be locked away!"

She hugged Poison Ivy's arm tightly, the same arm that was still holding her neck in a loose grip. Poison had to blink a few times to steel herself once more. "Listen to me, kid," She said, "Whatever you think you are doing…"

Poison Ivy never did finish sentence. Chiharu's head suddenly snapped around, and at the same time, a mighty roar thundered from deep within the woods. A tiger enveloped by flame tore through the leaves and branches, pouncing at Poison Ivy.

Just when it seemed the tiger was about the hit, Poison Ivy disappeared and reappeared high above, standing on the thick branch of an oak tree, still holding Chiharu in her arms.

She gave the child a look and said, "Well now, your father sent a rather unusual rescue team."

"Prepare for battle, Ivy, and I mean it," Chiharu said with narrowed eyes, "That is not my father's rescue team!"


	5. Different Dimension Encounter

It's been a loooonnnggg while but I have this on-again off-again relationship with all things Yugioh ;) Not quite ready to give this one up yet, so here is another chapter.

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Bruce and Yusei's conversation did not get very far when they were interrupted by the FBI, who made an obligatory appearance as in all kidnapping cases. It took all of Bruce's billionaire obnoxiousness to be rid of them. There were still press releases to put out, or at least orders to be given to the PR and legal machines. Both were businessmen and acted their part. They only sat down for lunch long past lunch hour, and even at the lunch table their conversation continued down the business route.

Bruce said to his business partner while arranging his napkin, "I hope you have a plan to recover your daughter sometime soon. How long do you think is long enough to let her pretend a terrorist is her mother? I should remind you she would need a psychiatrist afterward no matter what. And of course this whole incident will affect our collaboration as well as stock prices at both our companies."

"Master Bruce," Alfred admonished while pouring wine, "I hope it's not a habit of yours to speak so callously, especially to an important partner."

"Doctor Fudo will forgive my bluntness, as the situation more than warrants it. And a single father always needs a reminder when he is being an atrocious parent, I can attest to it personally."

"Master Bruce!"

"Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth, but Mr. Wayne is right," Yusei said with a small sigh, "I should not have let Chiharu go with Poison Ivy, it was a terrible lapse of judgment on my part. It is not easy for me, not only because I am alone, but Chiharu is a difficult child with her power…"

"Her power?" Bruce asked, "You have yet to explain that to me, Doctor Fudo, and why you think she is in no danger by Poison Ivy's side. Even if she sees Poison Ivy as mother, I really doubt a cold blooded terrorist like Poison Ivy would feel the same."

Yusei gave him a very strange look, before saying, "Mr. Wayne, must we carry on this pretense? You saw what Chiharu can do last night, you felt the _Fiendish_ _Chain_ yourself. I was about to give you a detailed explanation of everything, but I was hoping you would invite Superman and anyone else you deem necessary, so I don't have to explain more than once. That would not work so well if you insist on hiding who you are."

Bruce gave Yusei a genuinely puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"

Yusei put down his fork and rubbed his temple. "Even now you would claim you know nothing of Batman?"

"Come now, no one would say he knows nothing of Batman," Bruce went back to his salad and spoke with a smile, "Of course I know about Batman, more than know, actually. I fund the entire Batman Incorporated and part of Justice League too."

"And you are also the Batman," Yusei said flatly.

Bruce burst out laughing, nearly knocking over his wine glass. "You know the funny thing is?" Bruce said, "Lex Luthor once said the same thing to me. Is this going to become a trend? Apparently my business partners all think I am the Batman at some point."

Yusei breathed a long sigh, before saying, "Fine, I will not press you on that point. But we all have important things to do, so you will excuse me if I don't let your show change how I deal with all of this. I do know without a shadow of a doubt that your reporter friend Clark Kent is Superman, so here is the story you need to pass on to him."

"A few years ago, back in 2011, one of my test reactors suffered an accident. It was not a major accident, only the temperature and pressure inside the reactor core suddenly spiked by nearly 15%. This burst was not enough to dent in the containment field, but it did create an unexpected byproduct: a never-before-seen synthetic crystal, yellow-green in color, very weakly radioactive, with alien structure and chemistry. I ran extensive experiments testing everything imaginable, and in the end I did satisfy myself that this substance is not harmful to Earth's life forms. So I kept the reactor design and eventually commercialized it; it is now in use at four different power plants, two in Ryukyu, one in Singapore, and another one in Hokkaido. Occasionally the reactors will produce this crystal, but I made sure to collect everything that was ever produced and store them in my own lab. The total amount accumulated over the years from all four reactors is 213.35 kilograms. Here is a 50 gram sample for you to analyze to your heart's content."

Yusei dug out a small metal box from his pocket and put it on the table, before continuing, "There is one more thing you need to know. This crystal is a power enhancer for psychic duelists. No, I do not know why; I cannot give you a scientific explanation for psychic duelists' power. Aki discovered the crystal's power while helping me run tests on the first batch. She was already immensely powerful, but with the crystal's help, she saved Neo Domino from the tsunami sprung from an 8.0 Richter scale earthquake only 25 miles off our coast. Of course since that display there were more than a few attempts to steal the crystal. Aki and I beat all of them back, and there hasn't been any serious attempt to steal the crystal in the last four years."

"Four years?" Bruce's brow furrowed, as he picked up the crucial point of this story. "Four years, you mean since your wife passed away."

Yusei did not speak. He closed his eyes and picked up his wine glass, sipping the fine vintage silently.

"Is your wife's passing connected with an attempt to steal the crystal?" Bruce pursued his questioning, "What happened? How can you know that your enemies have given up for good? The whole story would be helpful, Doctor Fudo."

Yusei put down the wine glass and opened his eyes.

"I think our discussion is finished here, Mr. Wayne," Yusei said in a low but firm voice, "Had you been more of a friend I would not mind telling you my story, but you simply wish to know every secret, offering nothing in return, neither trust nor sympathy, not even an acknowledgement of our common purpose. So we are done. Let us carry on this pretense as usual. I will go fetch Chiharu tonight; you can prepare for a press conference tomorrow morning. The rest of our project will proceed as planned, and no more. Thank you for lunch, please pass my compliments to your household staff; it is excellent cooking. Good day, and I will see you tomorrow."

"Come now, Doctor Fudo," Bruce stood up as well, putting on his best billionaire smile, half conciliatory half flippant, "Are we really going to destroy a friendly working relationship over a strange argument about whether I am the Batman?"

Yusei shook his head, as if weary of fighting an impossible battle. "This is exactly… Forget it, good day, Mr. Wayne."

"How do you plan to find your daughter then?" Bruce asked as Yusei turned.

Yusei shrugged, "If satellite surveillance cannot locate Poison Ivy, I have a close friend who can track down Chiharu's deck."

"And how do you plan to get there? What about defeating Poison Ivy?"

"That is not your concern, Mr. Wayne," Yusei turned his back towards Bruce, "Given the weight of current issues, I have already provided you with all the important information I have, despite your utter lack of faith in me. I really have nothing else to say to you. I will call tomorrow morning regarding any PR work we need."

And with that he was gone.

* * *

Damian and Billy came home in the midst of media frenzy. Alfred picked them up from school, and even Billy could not help but protest good-naturedly that they were way too old for such, but when they saw the sea of reporters outside of Wayne manor they did appreciate the limo. Now their minds were all on the kidnapping. Billy looked genuinely upset and concerned.

"The poor little girl, and Doctor Fudo, he must be worried sick," He muttered, "Did father go after Poison Ivy? Can we help? What should we do?"

Damian rolled his eyes.

Alfred coughed and then said, "Unfortunately Master Bruce was called away on important League business this afternoon. But I am happy to inform you that Doctor Fudo himself can hardly be called 'worried' and he is convinced his daughter will be fine. He said, and I quote, he will go 'fetch' the young lady tonight, and he will call your father tomorrow morning about the PR situation."

"Which means the situation is taken care of," Damian commented with a wave of his hand, "With all those journalists crowded around the manor, it is probably better if we just take the night off."

Billy shook his head and spoke with a slight frown, "We don't know the situation is taken care of. You think the little girl is fine because she is a psychic duelist? I wouldn't be so sure. I mean, the kidnapper is _Poison Ivy_. If I can only use the magic of a psychic duelist against her it would be very difficult fight, and you know what, I think I might lose after all. That magic is more restrictive than you would imagine. You are dependent on components of a _card game_, and not even every card can be manifested."

Damian narrowed his eyes, "That means you need much more training. I have _no _magic and still would not lose to the ilk of Poison Ivy."

Billy had the good grace to not roll his eyes. He said with a small laugh, "You are you though, hardly the bar for everyone else." Then more soberly, "But in any case Captain Marvel can take care of this tonight. Even if the little girl really doesn't need a rescuer, we should make sure all the same."

"No Captain Marvel," Damian gave him a look, "If you want to do this, bird suit it is. Consider this your final exam after three months of probation in the field."

Billy frowned. "While a ten-year old little girl remains Poison Ivy's hostage? That's cold even for you, Damian."

"The same little girl rendered Batman immobile with a single sentence. Next thing you know, you will want to go save Superman when some bank robber holds a gun to his head."

"I don't even… Oh forget this," Billy threw up his hands, "You are running the show, brother. But when we get there if Doctor Fudo's daughter is in any real danger, I am doing whatever it takes."

Billy quickly regretted the "you are running the show" comment. Even his Kevlar suit and mask were not helping him feel the role of the masked hero "Eaglet" this night. As he pulled the helicopter into the air, watching the city shrink away from his sight, he could not help but mutter, "Father is going to _kill_ us!"

Robin leaned back in the co-pilot's seat, looking very relaxed. He answered, "You are the one who said it will take us forever to reach Poison Ivy's mountain lair by road and we can land a helicopter there."

"But I don't have a license yet!" Billy hissed.

"I do," Robin smirked, "So in the highly unlikely case of us getting pulled over a thousand feet off the ground, we can just tell them I am the one flying."

"Then why don't you _actually_ fly this thing? And how did you ever get a helicopter license? The minimum age requirement is seventeen in every state! You are still a few months off, even with your doctored birth certificate."

"Got my license in the Saudis," Robin gave his brother a wicked grin, "And you are flying precisely because you don't have a license yet and need to clock in more flight time. Even father would agree. By and by, the wind is picking up and changing direction. Keep your eyes on the instruments and adjust; you don't want to be blown off course."

So Billy forgot about bickering for a while and concentrated on handling the aircraft. A few minutes of silence later, after he made sure the helicopter was going where it should, he asked with a sigh, "You are so not worried about me crashing this thing, are you?"

"Not at all," Damian stretched, "There is more than enough iron in this aircraft for you to never crash it, even with a tornado bearing down on us."

Nearly an hour later, some one-hundred miles into the unchartered mountain wilderness, they finally located Poison Ivy's lakeside lair. Ivy's strange and exotic plants gave off such heat and were so different from the surrounding flora the infrared camera easily located them. Billy circled the area a few times looking for a perfect landing spot, and then began to bring the helicopter down once more. He had chosen a small and well-hidden grove a couple miles west of Poison Ivy's lair for landing. This particular spot was close enough to Poison Ivy's lair to travel the last stretch on foot, but still far enough to catch the villain unaware. The helicopter dropped down into the clearing with smooth, controlled motion, quite contrary to Billy's protest of not having a license. But when the helicopter had lowered to just above the tree line, Robin suddenly jumped up from his seat.

"Should I even bother reminding you about strapping in?" Billy asked, this time actually rolling his eyes.

"A tiger. A burning tiger just ran across the clearing, looks like it's heading towards the lake. Not just the camera, I saw it with my own _eyes_," Robin said with an unbelieving expression, "Seems like another rescue team beat us here."

Billy's expression turned grave. He mused out loud, "Doctor Fudo brought psychic duelists? Or was that his daughter? I really hope this doesn't become too ugly."

Robin jumped out of the helicopter while the engine was still roaring, and he shouted over the sound of whirling rotor blades, "So what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

The two teenagers darted through tree like birds flitting in and out of the forest canopy. There were clearly strange things and actions ahead of them, for the heat image was pulsating between trees. As they ran towards the lake, they began to hear voices shouting somewhere ahead of them. The voices were garbled and it was impossible to tell what was being said, but Billy stopped dead in his track. He looked puzzled at first, but a split second later confusion was replaced by shock.

"_Fragrance Storm_!" He exclaimed.

Robin continued racing forward, but he shouted from ahead, "You don't need to stand still to tell me what that means!"

So Billy chased after his brother. He explained breathlessly while running, "That spell can destroy a _plant_ creature, so it means, maybe, I think… Maybe it will _kill_ Poison Ivy."

Hearing this even Robin could not help but slow his steps. He stared back and asked, "Does it really work like _that_?"

"I am not sure, but it seems likely… Look, they are up ahead!"

They broke through the trees just in time to see a tornado of colorful flower petals storming the glade. The air was choke full of a sickly sweet fragrance so strong it was nauseating. They were distinctively aware of a figure in the center of this flowery storm, writhing and screaming, but they only backed up a few steps and shielded their eyes. The wind was so strong and the flower petals sharp like blades, they could barely stay standing. Billy clenched his jaws, and a potent spell was on the tip of his tongue, but someone beat him to the task.

A little girl's voice screamed, "Activate, _My Body as a Shield_!"

An explosion of flame and light, and the storm of flower petals seemed to diminish. But that was a momentary respite. They heard the beats of wings and saw a strange green creature tumble through the air. Next thing they knew there was no more flame and light, only the storm of flower petals.

"How _dare _you!" The young girl's tender voice became shriller still, "_SOLEMN JUDG—"_

For a moment it seemed like something truly horrifying was about to rush forward, as if the very gate of hell would burst open and spew forth an endless stream of darkness. Billy could feel every strand of his hair standing on end. But then the little girl's voice died mid-sentence. Whatever terrible countermeasure she was planning, it failed irrecoverably. The wind stilled and the flower petals vanished, everything quieted down. Finally they could see Poison Ivy clearly, lying on the ground and unmoving, as if…dead. Chiharu knelt beside Poison Ivy, one hand on the plant woman's chest and another on her neck, feeling for any sign of life.

For a long time they stared in silent horror and wonderment. After what seemed like forever the young girl stood up, while Poison Ivy still lay prone on the forest floor. The plant woman had not moved a hair all this time.

Robin hissed beside his brother's ear, "I have _no _idea what just happened, but I count three people hiding in trees. We can get them. Maneuverer twenty-one, on my mark."

"No, wait, no!" Billy whispered, suddenly afraid, "We need to protect them from _her_; that little girl is _angry, _she…"

Too late.

They heard the young girl's voice once more, speaking with a bone-chilling calm, "Trap activate, bind them all, _Ivy Shackle_!"

Chiharu Fudo stood there, staring at unseen enemies hiding behind the forest canopy. Her amber colored eyes turned to two pools of molten gold, glowing with unadulterated fury. She was still a cherubic little girl barely over four feet tall, but somehow she loomed large like nightmare manifest.

Green vines burst out of the forest floor, shooting towards them as if a conscious predator on the hunt. Robin ducked and drew his sword. His blade collided with one vine, but it did not even a mark on that green atrocity. Robin jumped back out of the reach of the vine just in time, then turned to escape two more swinging towards him. His sword was a swirl of silver light in his hand, but still the weapon could do nothing against these unnatural vines. Robin eventually found time to toss an incendiary bomb into the mass of writhing green and watched with grim satisfaction as everything burned. But the fire accomplished absolutely nothing. From the flames vines continued to swing at him, trying to capture him in their grasp. Even Robin was feeling pressured. He sneaked a few glances at his brother, and perhaps not surprisingly, the novice Billy could not hold his own against the vines. He was now all tied up by the green monstrosity like a fly in a spider web. Robin was about to shout something when suddenly a long, glinting spear appeared from nothingness and hurled towards his brother.

"Eaglet!"

Robin roared and threw himself towards his brother. He had to stop when another spear came flying at his face. He swung his sword at the spear, but before his blade even touched the spear it shattered into a million sparks of light and washed over him like a shower.

"Eaglet!" Robin shouted one more time, only to see the spear ram into his brother.

Thankfully the next second the vines loosened and his brothers ran to his side, completely unharmed.

"It's, it's fine," Billy said breathlessly, "The spears are friendly spells; she is trying to save us from the crossfire. But what is she going to…"

He did not even get a chance to finish the question. Suddenly the world around them changed once more, and they saw black, thorny bushes rising from the ground, emerald leaves and black flowers unfurling from every branch, spreading out like a black sea.

"I _really_ hate magic," Robin muttered, "What is this now?"

"I think this is the _Black Garden_," Billy looked around him wonderingly, "It is a field spell that weakens anyone who comes into the area, but it wouldn't affect anything already here. Why would she use _Black Garden_ now? Is there another effect? Oh my God she _wouldn't_…"

"What now?!"

The little girl's voice rose above the din once more, "Activate _Black Garden_, destroy every…"

"No!" Billy grabbed a thorny branch and cried out at the top of his voice, "_Mystical Space Typhoon_ activate—kill this garden!"

A split second later they were standing in the eye of the storm. Wind whipped and howled like a living creature, branches trembled and black flowers shivered, before slowly disappearing under the weight of the storm. Billy whispered to his brother while watching the storm, "Can you go after those three in the woods? We shouldn't just let them get away either. But I think I need to be here keeping this little girl occupied."

Robin made a small "humph" noise, before asking with a sideway look at his brother, "Can you handle her?"

"I will, one way or another. Just go, but be very careful! Those people in the woods are most definitely psychic duelists too." He did not give any more warning or suggestion, for Robin was an experienced crime fighter and knew not to openly challenge a powerful enemy without preparation.

Robin darted off with a nod, and just in time too. Chiharu finally turned around to face Billy. Her golden eyes fixed on the teenage hero with frightening intensity.

"You cannot stop me," Chiharu's voice was pure ice, "I was trying to protect you from becoming collateral damage, yet you would hinder me as a repayment? I will give you one chance: get out of my way."

"You can't use your power to _murder_," Billy said firmly.

The little girl blinked once, then her eyes narrowed. She said, "The real murderers are getting away and you are still in my way. One last warning."

"Robin will go after them, but you will not," Billy stood directly in front of her, refusing to move a single step.

The young girl muttered yet another spell. Billy saw thick chains spring from nothingness and fly towards him. But he was ready this time. He stomped down on one of those chains, and ignoring the numbness already working its way up his leg as the chain wrapped itself around his ankle, he cried out once more, "Activate, _Mystical Space Typhoon_!"

Another storm suddenly whipped into being, and the chains were slowly disappearing. But Chiharu raised her hand and called, "_Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell_!"

A magic circle flashed on the ground, eerily glowing, and purple vapor was rising into the air. Billy was undaunted, he took two steps forward and placed himself in the middle of the magic circle.

"Trap set and activate," He hissed, and suddenly a strange looking knife appeared in his hand, which he plunged into the earth with all his strength, right at the heart of the magic circle, "_Seven Tools of the Bandit_!"

There was an explosion of light as the glowing magic circle twisted and dimmed. Billy was blown back by the explosion of magic and he could not stand up.

But Chiharu was still standing, and she was overflowing with rage-fueled magic. The young girl screamed, "You do _not_ get the last word—trap set and activate, _Wiretap_!"

And Billy could not respond anymore. His whole body was wrecked with pain. Three powerful spells and traps in a row, not least of all the costly _Seven Tools of the Bandit_, had drained him of every ounce of magical and physical strength. He could barely move a finger, never mind standing up. The string of spells and traps reeled back, and the very first trap finally manifested. Chains shot forth and before Billy could even think about the issue he was already trapped, his entire body all but covered by chains. But he could not move in either case, _Fiendish Chain_ in play or not.

Chiharu strode towards the trees, ready to chase after the yet unseen enemies hiding behind the forest canopy. But she barely took another step when the sound of rumbling engines pierced through the forest glade. Chiharu started and backed up two steps almost involuntarily.

And the next moment a gleaming red motorcycle shot out of the trees and placed itself between Chiharu and the still bound Billy.

"Chiharu, _enough_," Doctor Yusei Fudo dismounted and tossed his helmet to the ground, "Release him _right now_."


	6. Miracle's Wake

AN: I am back with one more chapter! Okay so this is definitely one of those, going very slowly but going, projects. I really do like the idea so it will hopefully continue to happen. Read, enjoy and please review!

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**#6. Miracle's Wake**

"No!" The little girl answered fiercely, "He was trying to stop me, and the murderers are getting away!"

Machine parts clicked and turned as Yusei released his duel disk from the duel runner and strapped it to his left wrist, the contraption unfolding and readying for battle.

"You will release him now," Yusei said, "Or face me in a duel. Your choice, Chiharu."

"If that is what it takes for you to get out of my way, then fine, let's duel!" The little girl shouted in the heat of moment, but it was obvious she quickly regretted her impulse. She took yet another step back and muttered, "No, I don't mean it like that, I…Please don't make me duel, papa, I need to do other things right now. Look, I will let him go!"

She waved her hand and the every unnatural thing around them disappeared. Billy dropped to the ground with a thud and did not move at first. Seeing her father's expression become even more severe, Chiharu hastened to explain, "I did not hurt him, I swear! We stacked a long chain of spells and traps and counter traps; I think he just wore himself out...I…"

"I, I am fine, really, Doctor Fudo," Billy spoke as he climbed up shakily. He was still in pain, but seeing little Chiharu so afraid and anxious and close to tears he felt rather sorry for the child, and it felt almost obligatory to placate the girl's livid father.

Yusei Fudo turned and looked at Billy, silently measuring the state of his health. Then the doctor gave him a slight nod. The next moment Yusei turned back to his young daughter and slotted his deck into the duel disk.

He said in a dangerously flat voice, "No, Chiharu, this time you do not get a free pass. Ever since your mother passed away I let discipline slide. I told you again and again you cannot abuse your power yet never did I enforce it in earnest. I accepted all of your apologies—too many of them. No more! Today you will learn your limits. Today you will learn the consequence of abusing your power: utter and crushing defeat."

"Please, papa, not right now," Chiharu muttered, tears now flowing freely, "I know I shouldn't have gotten so angry; but let me try to help Ivy. I think she is dead, but I can help her; I _have _to…"

"Enough!" Yusei said, "I will _not_ let you manipulate me like this again. Chiharu Fudo, I challenge you…"

"Noooooo!" Chiharu cut off her father with a long wail, then she screamed, "Spell activate, _Miracle Fertilizer—_bring Poison Ivy back to me!"

The world was utterly still for a few seconds.

"No, Chiharu, you cannot..." Yusei began, but his voice died mid-sentence.

He had reacted instinctively, shocked by Chiharu's attempt, yet he stopped himself. For Yusei Fudo there was no higher call than preserving lives, so he could not bring himself to hinder an attempt to do exactly that, even if it was something as incredulous as magical resurrection. Should one ever hinder an attempt to save a life? Yusei hesitated.

At first Billy could not be sure just exactly what he heard, and then he had to process the mind-boggling information. _Miracle Fertilizer—_"target one plant-type monster in your Graveyard: special summon that target"—targeting Poison Ivy, who was more plant than human—to bring her to life—to life from death?! Was Poison Ivy truly dead? And more terrifyingly, was she about to return to life?

Poison Ivy still lay unmoving on the forest floor, but magic raged like a ferocious storm. Chiharu stood at the center of the storm, eyes wide open but unseeing. Her entire form was glowing with a fell light, and her eyes flashed white. She was weaving the spell with her very essence. But it was not working. It did not take a gifted magician to see it was simply not working and dangerously close to spiraling out of control, for they saw blood trickling down form the corner of Chiharu's mouth, and Poison Ivy was still as stone.

"Chiharu, you have to stop! You will kill yourself; stop!" Yusei stepped towards his daughter, but before he could get close the storm of magic tossed him aside and flung him into a tree.

Without really thinking about it, Billy leapt towards the little girl. The swirling magic around the child was like a condensed hurricane, but Billy knew his way around magic. Getting past magical barriers was daily fare for Captain Marvel, and even if he was not the Mightiest Mortal on Earth right now, he still remembered Captain Marvel's tricks. He let loose a small bolt of electricity, blasting away at the forces pushing him back, and followed the forward momentum of his own magical energy into fray, dashing through the small opening and only stopping when he was standing right beside the girl child.

Chiharu turned towards him, eyes glowing, blood marring her marble-white face.

There was no convincing her to stop now, or perhaps there was simply no stopping. Magic easily escapes the control of the wielder, even for someone as powerful as Chiharu.

"Let me help you!" Billy cried out and grasped the young girl's hand.

_Miracle Fertizlier_—Poison Ivy—bring her to life! The youth willed with every fiber of his being.

A silent roar rose into the air. The storm of raging magic now manifested itself as tangible winds and lightning flashes, wreaking physical havoc inside the small forest glade. Billy clenched his teeth hard. It felt as if something was draining his very life, turning his bones and sinew to water and then sucking it dry. Only seconds later he sank to his knees, unable to stay standing. But he refused to let go of Chiharu's hand. There was no way he would let a ten-year old little girl endure this all alone.

_Boom!_

A thunderous explosion shook the glade, and the wind and the light down finally died down. The spell was complete. Billy found himself lying on the forest floor, staring up at the starry night sky. He was beyond pain and weariness, beyond thinking too, only vaguely aware that he was still holding Chiharu's hand. Billy would have happily lain there forever, but only a moment later he felt the little girl stir and then attempt to rise beside him.

"Ivy, Ivy!" The little girl shouted.

Concern for the girl made Billy stand up despite his utter exhaustion, and found himself face to face with Poison Ivy. She stood right in front of them, eyes wide and staring at them.

Poison Ivy, still alive.

Billy blinked, and then took a deep breath.

Why shouldn't Poison Ivy be alive? She was probably just passed out from the attack, and now she has awaken. He did _not _just bring back the dead with a bloody _card game. _Billy repeated his wishful thinking a hundred times, praying it to be true, but he knew deep in his heart that he had just done the unthinkable. Indeed, he and Chiharu just resurrected Poison Ivy; his certainly of the fact was as weighty as his exhaustion.

"Ivy, please talk to me," Chiharu whispered to the plant woman, "Say you are alright."

"I am alright," Poison Ivy's reply came too fast and she sounded half strangled, "I am talking to you. What do you want me to say?"

Chiharu stared back at the plant woman, mouth hanging agape. She did not know what to think of that response. Something was terrifyingly wrong; they all sensed it. A moment of deathly silence, and then Poison Ivy spoke again.

"What have you done to me?!" She ground out between her teeth.

"I, I wanted to save you; I can't let you die, Ivy," Chiharu whispered and took a couple steps towards Poison Ivy, reaching out a small hand, "Ivy, _please_…"

"You little _monster_, what did you do! I will _kill _you!" Poison screamed.

Billy grabbed Chiharu's hand once more and pulled her back, placing himself between the crazed plant woman and the little girl. "Poison Ivy, stop this," He cried out, "Let's _talk _about this, alright? Stop attacking!"

Everything stilled immediately, including Poison Ivy herself. Her arm was half-raised, frozen in mid-motion. Her eyes were wide as saucers and unblinking.

"Poison Ivy?" Billy murmured, "What is going on with you, Poison Ivy?"

"I can't move… I can't even turn my head; I can't move!" Poison Ivy screamed, "You brats, what did the two of you _do_ to me! Let me go, or I swear I will…"

Billy answered breathlessly, "We did not do anything to you, or we did not mean to. If that spell has any effect at all it is just to bring you back to life!"

"Bring me to life… just bring me back to life?!" Poison Ivy stared back at the two youngsters speechlessly for a long time, before letting loose a feral growl of frustration, "You have no idea what you are doing, have you? You stupid kids, you stay away from me, do you hear? Now release me! Let me move!"

"You can move if you want," Billy answered, voice trembling.

Before the sentence was complete Poison Ivy was already bolting away, disappearing into the trees. Billy stood there rooted, but Chiharu thrust his hand aside and raced after Poison Ivy.

"Ivy, please!" The little girl shouted, "Stay for a moment, we have to figure this out. Ivy!"

And Poison Ivy stopped, frozen in a forward lurch. A moment of silence, and then a desperate and furious wail rose pierced the sky.

"Ivy! Listen to me, Ivy," Chiharu shouted at the plant woman, "Please don't…"

She never finished her sentence. Billy had caught up with the little girl, he hugged the child close and covered her mouth with a firm hand.

"Go, Ivy, leave," Billy commanded while restraining Chiharu, "Leave this place, leave Gotham City; make sure you are _far_ away from both of us. I promise you I will do everything in my power to figure this out and fix it, but for now you have to _stay away_."

Poison Ivy did not need to be commanded twice and disappeared into the trees.

Billy stood still as a statue for a moment, arms still wrapped around Chiharu. He had been running on nothing but adrenalin; now that Poison Ivy disappeared from view and the crisis at least suspended, he had nothing left except an empty shell of a spent body. He thought vaguely that perhaps he should let say something to the little girl, but before he could reach any coherent conclusion his knees buckled and he fell back unconscious.

* * *

Billy woke to find himself in a Greco-Roman dream in white marble, falling water, and most tastefully placed greeneries. The sky was the perfect shade of cerulean, broken by puffs of soft clouds, and even what should have been most ordinary sunlight seemed a dreamy shade of soft gold here. Billy clambered up and looked around wonderingly. He did not know where he was, but this kind of scenery looked vaguely familiar.

"You are awake!" A familiar sweet voice called.

Billy whirled around and found himself staring at a beaming face, coppery hair bound by shining gold, and a pair of eyes blue like the sky above. A snowy owl hooted and landed on the young girl's shoulder.

"Min?" Billy was confused, "I don't remember summoning you."

"You didn't," Minerva, Lightsworn Maiden laughed at him, "Welcome to my world, champion."

Billy did a double take of the classic architectural perfection around him, and finally the familiarity clicked. He exclaimed, "Realm of Light! Wow… Where am I exactly, Minerva? How did this happen? I have never seen a field spell manifested before. To give life to an entire realm, can you imagine how much magic _that_ would take?"

"You should try it sometime," Minerva said glibly.

Billy eyed the otherworldly girl with ample confusion and even a sliver of suspicion.

"I mean well, Billy," Minerva laughed, "You have a powerful soul, more powerful than that of any duelist I have personally met over the years. In my estimation you should be able to manifest a field spell just fine with some practice. But we digress from your original question. Welcome, young master, to the spirit world, where soul creatures and all their magic dwell. How does this world look in your eyes, Billy?"

Billy paled, and the youth murmured, "I thought, I thought you said coming into the spirit world is a one-way ride, and only, only through death can…"

"Don't worry, you are not dead. Our world is indeed open to a few select living mortals, those with a certain quality that allow them to be here yet live, and we can bring them in if we so desire. You happen to one with such a quality. So after your battle, sensing your acute magical exhaustion, Michael brought you here."

"Acute magical exhaustion?" Billy had to snicker at that, just a little.

"'Tis no laughing matter, young master. Magic is always the derivative of life itself. Tap your magic too much and too fast, death is a sure consequence," For such heavy words, Minerva was sounding entirely too lighthearted, "By and by, if you are ever faced with a battle so grave that your life is surely forfeit, I do encourage you to consider turning the remnants of your soul into a creature of this realm so you can become an eternal guardian, just like countless heroes have done so before you. Surely a soul as powerful as yours can be put to better use than simple inexistence."

"Er, thanks for the advice, I guess?"

Billy shivered ever so slightly. It was indeed disturbing how Minerva can recount something as terrifying as an eternal existence as a magical creature in such a mundane manner. In time like this the inhumanity of forces he has so happily dabbled in pressed home extra hard. Minerva is, after all, an undead creature who had perhaps never lived, a shard of a goddess, who is a higher order of existence than mere mortals.

He took a deep breath to cast away such uneasy thoughts, and looked around once more. The scene was as beautiful as ever, and he felt himself perk up, just a little, at the glorious scene. He turned around and asked Minerva, "Since I am here already, will you show me around and introduce me to everyone? I have only ever met you and Michael."

"That was indeed my plan, and we should start with a proper introduction," Minerva laughed, but then she made a graceful little curtsey, before rising with a serious expression, "Well met, Champion of Magic, chosen by the Hand of Wisdom. I am called _Minerva, Maiden of the Lightsworn_, but my true name is _Glaukokis_, for I am the Little Bright One, an incarnation of the goddess Pallas Athena herself. Hold my name, as you would hold my loyalty and love. Now tell me your name, Champion, as a token of your good faith."

Billy blinked very slowly. After a long silence he whispered, "_Glaukokis_."

The name rolled off his tongue with a tingling sensation; he could taste the quivering power in that single word alone. When he casually said introductions, he was certainly _not_ expecting to receive Minerva's true name. He has lived with Solomon's wisdom long enough to know just how potent a true name can be, especially for a magical creature like Minerva. Her knowledge would be his knowledge, her power would be his power, and she would be his to command. This was a promise not easily granted.

"Give me your true name, if you trust me so, say all of it with no truth unsaid," Minerva said gently, "You are well versed in magic, so I am sure you know how a true name can bind or empower, and to bestow upon another the knowledge of a true name is an act of the ultimate pledge."

Billy nodded with a solemn face and murmured, "You know I trust you, Min, especially after what you offered me. Please hear: my name is William Joseph Batson Wayne, also called Eaglet, and I am also Captain Marvel, chosen by the Great Wizard upon the Rock of Eternity and the Goddess of Wisdom. Keep my name in good faith, as I would yours."

He extended a hand towards the small coppery-haired girl, who gladly took his hand with a smile.

"And there is the still the rest of the clan," Minerva said with a soft smile, just as the sound of beating wings filled the air.

An enormous shadow fell over them as the great winged creature descended. _Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn _climbed down from the dragon's back, and he slowly knelt down in front of the overawed Billy, like a knight paying homage to his liege lord, or a protective elder offering tenderness to a child.

"I am glad to see you again, young William," So spoke the leader of the Lightsworn clan in his glorious shining armor, "I am _Michael_, _the Arch-Lightsworn_, and my true name is _Archistrategos_, the Supreme Commander. So I gift my name to you, William, and hope to receive yours."

"Of course," Billy shook the armored hand, and repeated the same oath.

The same process continued with every member of the Lightsworn clan, even including the pair of little hound and cat, the great wolf, and even the great _Judgment Dragon_, who spoke not a single word but somehow made himself perfectly understood. Billy did not quite understand why this, why now, but he could hardly refuse to reciprocate when this clan of magical creatures offered him the weightiest of pledges. It was only after he received all the names of the Lightsworn clan did he find the opportunity to ask carefully, "Everyone, I am just wondering, do you need my help in something? Is that why you brought me here and all pledged me your true names?"

There was a long, heavy silence, so Billy hastened to add, "It's okay, everyone, I am glad to help you guys with whatever you need; I would do that even if you guys did not give me your true names."

"There is nothing we need from you now," So spoke Michael, "Rather, we desire an unbreakable alliance with you because what is coming. A sinister force from your world is stirring our realm, William, and we fear left unchecked this force will bring forth a great doom, to both of our worlds."

"What? So what is happening in your world? What have you noticed? Tell me what is wrong, I will do whatever I can to help!"

Seeing the intensity on his face Michael nodded with a small smile and said, "Thank you, William, we were indeed right to place our confidence in you. It is this: an unknown psychic duelist of uncommon power who should not exist has suddenly appeared."

"A psychic duelist of uncommon power?"

Billy paused. The first thing that jumped to his mind upon hearing this was none other than Chiharu Fudo. Is she the sinister force? Chiharu, that powerful but unstable little girl so full of hidden grief? Would he have to fight her again, somehow?

"Psychic duelists are rare, and powerful ones even rarer," Not quite sensing his hesitance, Minerva explained, "Their power manifests at a young age and they are known to us. Even you, though you did not know about us until the age of twelve, we have always known you. I sensed your power and your connection to us long ago, and I visited you once. You might not remember now; you were so small then! We thought it is better to let you discover the game and in turn us by yourself, so we waited rather patiently all these years."

Billy stared at her open-mouthed with shock. Eventually he exclaimed, "That is why you seemed familiar the first time I saw your image in the card game! It wasn't _just _Ms. Glaukos, I actually saw you before as a little kid?"

Minerva gave him a bright but brief smile and continued in a serious voice, "All psychic duelists are known, at least to certain members among us, and those truly powerful ones are known to all of us. The entire realm heeds the call of the Black Rose Witch and her daughter, and the Princess of the Ancient Forest is beloved by all. And you, Billy, you will be surprised how many among us will come when you command it, for someone as powerful and earnest as you is inevitably known to all the realm, and loved by most. But now an unknown power has suddenly appeared, commanding the creatures and the magic of our realm, yet we do not know this power. No clan has claimed this newcomer as champion, no creature has seen him grow, no one can even connect this power to or name or a face. We only know him as a force that uses us. Do you see why we are uneasy?"

Billy nodded very slowly, "Alright, I see now. That does sound very problematic, but what should I do to help?"

"Be vigilant, look for strange happenings in your world," said Michael, "Trust your instinctive judgment; if something seems to you impossibly powerful, then it is—it is most likely connected to this strange impossibility that haunts us."

Billy pondered a few seconds whether his almost facetious observation is appropriate for the moment, but in the end decided to go for it, for this question dearly needed answers. He said, "To be honest, the most impossible thing I have seen yet is what Chiharu Fudo and I did together, the very act that gave me this acute magical exhaustion."

"_Miracle Fertilizer_," Minerva paused a moment, before speaking in a somber voice, "You are not wrong in thinking that the art of resurrection is impossibly powerful. If you see it, be wary, be very wary. And I hope you have also learned through your last escapade, _don't ever do it again_."

"I am sorry, I am! But what about that side effect, how does that work exactly? What's wrong with Poison Ivy? There has to be some way to get rid of whatever Poison Ivy is experiencing…"

"There is not," Michael interrupted with a short, flat phrase.

Seeing Billy's devastated look Minerva added with a soft sigh, "What he means is that no one knows, Billy. We have not seen it before, when a resurrection spell works and those who cast the spell are yet living themselves. We can only theorize."

"So how can we figure this out?" Billy asked hurriedly, his handsome face scrunched up in concentration.

"Perhaps, Billy, but you have been here long enough and your soul is well rested, so you should return," Minerva reminded him, "Time runs differently in our realm and yours; you may not think you have been here long but your loved ones will no doubt fear your current state. Listen!"

Billy paused and listened, and then he heard it, the familiar sharp and biting voice of his brother, whispering from all around him or perhaps from somewhere deep within him.

"Come home, you fool, wherever you need to be and whatever you need to do, you had four whole days now. You keep this up and I _will_ go dig back whatever magic I need in order to drag you back here personally…"

Billy nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Four days?" He exclaimed, "It has been four days?! Did I just disappear for four whole days? Damian will _kill _me, and father… I have to get back now!"

Those words barely left his mouth when everything around him vanished. He blinked a few times, and finally realized he was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV unit and a menagerie of monitoring gadgets. He turned his head and saw Damian was indeed sitting by the bed and staring at him with a murderous look.

"Sorry," Billy offered a timid smile, "I totally didn't know how long that took."

"I _will_ kill you," Damian hissed.


	7. Spell of Pain

AN: Finally another chapter! Yes I am totally still working on this and hopefully will speed up a little.

**#7. Spell of Pain**

If Billy thought after four days of coma he could just return home, hit the Batcave database, begin his investigation into otherworldly disturbances—well, he was clearly wrong. Instead he had to beg in a way that was unbefitting of fifteen year olds just to get out of the infirmary. He was confined to his room, with a strict order of "no magic", no access to data, no computer, and not a single soul to discuss this emerging case with. The last point was especially frustrating. So he was reduced to sitting cross-legged on his bed, laying out ideas on a small notebook.

_Poison Ivy targeting Fudo—coincidence?_

_Three psychic duelists who rescued Chiharu but killed Poison Ivy_

_Chiharu wearing kryptonite_

_Unknown psychic duelist, extremely powerful_

_Connection between Poison Ivy and psychic duelists?_

_Connection between kryptonite and psychic duelists?_

After writing down these few lines Billy stared at the page for many long minutes. He stared hard but he could not see anything—perhaps there was nothing to see to begin with; perhaps these were only serious but unrelated events. That would be nice, to have difficult events remain difficult events rather than all connected in an overarching scheme, but he could not believe in such happy coincidences. There was something amiss about this series of strange happenings, he could feel it, and the price of overlooking any thread of scheming would be disastrous, as he knew from intimate experience. In the midst of his furious but rather futile pondering, he heard three of his magical alarms going off, accompanied by Ace's furious barking. Ever since the great battle against the Crime Syndicate, Ace had remained in an enchanted state, now the great hound was as reliable a guardian against magical incursions as any. Billy stood up and jumped out of the window, running towards the place of disturbance.

He saw Ace standing in the middle of the lawn, supple canine body taut as a bowstring, teeth bared and tail straight, its glistening black body cackling with lightning. Ace faced a lion with flowery mane twice his size, and Chiharu Fudo stood half hidden behind the otherworldly lion, a wispy little ten-year old. Others might find her terrifying, but after their last encounter Billy felt ever more pitiful towards the young girl. Billy called off Ace with a wave of his hand, but he hesitated as what he should do next. He had no idea what Chiharu was here for or how much Chiharu knew about identities behind masks, so he did not know how to begin.

So Chiharu stepped out from behind the lion and began first. She spoke in a wondrous yet slightly fearful voice, "So, so many enchantments here, so much magic, but I have never seen their likes before. They are not related to duel monsters, are they? You are not just a psychic duelist who happens to be Robin; you also have other powers."

"I am not Robin."

Of all things to say, perhaps that was not the ideal line to open the conversation.

Indeed, Chiharu looked somewhat irritated. She said with a pout, "Look, I hope we do not have to waste time on this. I am here to apologize, William." Here the little young girl drew a deep breath and bowed, then she spoke with an utterly serious expression, "I am sorry for our dealing a few days ago. Things got out of hand, and I was mad; in all fairness I had been uncontrollable in my rage. My emotions ran away from me, and I am sorry. I was wrong to strike to kill, even against those people who murdered Poison Ivy; I was even more wrong to fight you and put you in such danger. I am truly sorry. Perhaps you cannot forgive me right now, but I will do my very best to make amends. You can judge for yourself in the future whether I deserve your forgiveness."

Billy blinked, before asking, "Are you really ten years old?"

Still the wrong thing to say, perhaps.

Chiharu gave him yet another irritated look, but continued nonetheless, "I also hope we can share some information. That last few days you spent in coma was actually spent in the realm of duel monsters, right? At least that is the word from my associates. So you should have heard from them an unknown psychic duelist of immense power has surfaced, yet that personage is not known to the realm."

"Yes, yes—we need to talk about it."

Billy straightened. There were too many questions to be answered, and if the answers lay with a ten-year old girl, then he would respect her as a proper ally, however pitiable or terrifying she seemed.

"Explain to me what happened," Billy said, "What happened to you, and to Poison Ivy? I mean, I have some inklings, but I am not completely clear. Tell me your side of the story."

"I was not kidnapped; I went with Poison Ivy because I wanted to, even father indulged me," Chiharu sounded regretful and also sulky as she spoke, "Those three psychic duelists that came out of nowhere were _not _hired rescuers; I had nothing to do with them. They activated _Fragrance Storm, _targeting Poison. I have no idea why they would want to kill Poison Ivy, none whatsoever. I never knew of any connection between psychic duelists and someone like Poison Ivy. I tried to stop them with _My Body as A Shield_, and they responded in kind with _Herald of Green Light_ and negated my spell. I was going to activate _Solemn Judgment_ but I could not—you understand it was _Solemn Judgment _after all."

Billy shook his head, "I never tried _Solemn Judgment_, nor _Miracle Fertilizer_; I tried a few cards to satisfy my own curiosity and that was it. I will believe you that _Solemn Judgment _is particularly difficult to manifest. But I am not getting this: how exactly do spells and traps, especially the more powerful destructive kind, interact with the real world? In a duel, monsters 'destroyed' by card effects are never truly destroyed, they can be brought back, and I have never seen a duel monster truly die. But they work differently on living things from our world? _Fragrance Storm_ can _kill_ a real, sentient, living being like Poison Ivy like a bullet can? Does that mean _Raigeki_ will kill en masse, or _Monster Reborn_ will resurrect the dead?"

"It depends on the psychic duelist's power level, but in a word, yes. Duel monsters can kill, so can spells and traps; things from our world are just so easy to break."

Billy pondered a few moments, before murmuring softly, "Easier to break, and infinitely more difficult to repair. Yet this magic can even resurrect the dead? Resurrecting dead human beings?"

"In theory, yes, that too, and you are not even shocked by it," The little girl was eyeing him with a shrewd look.

"I am more shocked than you think, and that is worth more than you realize," Billy answered looking straight at the little girl's amber colored eyes, "As you said before, I know many powers. I have seen miraculous escapes from death before, but they were not full resurrections. Because I know so many powers, I fear this even more—the power to reverse death is the most sought after of all powers, and the price for it is always terrible. Did we truly resurrect Poison Ivy? How 'dead' was she, how much life have we given her, and exactly _what_ is the price?"

Chiharu trembled but she did not reply. For the first time this precocious little girl who always seemed to have a perfectly composed response was speechless.

"Chiharu, I am sorry, but I would like to know," Billy tried to be as gentle as he could, "Have you seen such a resurrection before? What is the price? If I know, we can better deal with this in the future."

"I don't know. I don't know any more than you do! It wasn't like this last time!"

"So what was it like last time?"

"She died, alright? She died after casting that _Monster Reborn_! He had been dead for who knows how long, dead from a real bullet, and her _Monster Reborn _worked, at the cost of her own life. There was no resurrection, it was trading one life for another! She would never forgive me if I do it. If it were any other price, I would have happily paid a long..."

Chiharu's voice broke again. As she choked she suddenly seemed to wake from her impassioned craze, and she covered her mouth with two small hands in horror.

"Why did I say this?" The little girl whispered with wide eyes, "Why did I say this to you?"

Billy tried to console her, "Chiharu, it's okay…"

"No! I shouldn't have said anything, how can I tell you this, you, a complete stranger?!" The little girl exploded once more, wide eyes bright with tears, "Nobody knows this, they can't know about this; I can't let anyone know!"

"Chiharu, it's okay, we don't have to talk about this, no one else has to know until you are ready…"

Chiharu buried her face in her hands and cried.

"Father can never know this, he just can't!" She cried and cried, "It's all my fault. He will never forgive me; how can he?! I don't want to lie, but he can't know about this, never…"

Billy took three strides towards Chiharu and hugged her tightly, pressing the small body into his own. He did not speak, only letting the child cry into his shirt. He was no stranger to the pain of losing his parents at a young age, but this was different. There was nothing he could say to the horrors this ten-year old has witnessed, things that seemed too miserable even in his hazy imagination.

After what seemed like an eternity Chiharu's cries quieted to a sob. Still ensconced in his arms, the child asked in a tiny voice, "How much do you… how much have you guessed?"

Billy hesitated a few seconds, and then, "Does it really matter, Chiharu?"

"Doesn't it?" The little girl spoke in a thick voice, "So you promise you won't ever ask me more about this?"

"I promise," Billy made his pledge out of instinct, which at the moment only had considerations for this young child, "But you can't hide this forever; it will only go on hurting, until you can't bear it anymore. You should talk about it with someone, some day."

But Chiharu ignored him and went on asking, "You promise to never ask me about this, even when you think it might be important for you to know?"

"Listen, Chiharu," Billy pulled back a little so he could once more look at the little girl's teary eyes, "Your memories are your own, and you reserve the right to never relive these horrors, no matter what. Nothing can justify robbing you of that right; there is always another way. Are you worried because you think I have ways of finding out? Don't be. I will protect you, whether your safety or your memories, I promise."

Chiharu blinked for a long time, before putting a hand on Billy's arm, almost shyly with a feathery light touch.

"Thank you, but I am not trying to hide important things from you on purpose, and I don't want you to be in danger because you don't know things," She whispered, "If you have questions about psychic duelists and their power, or about anything from those past few days, I will answer them all as best as I can."

"We don't have to discuss these things now," Billy said.

"We do have to do this right now," Chiharu now looked resolute once more, "You have questions, don't you? And they are important. I want to know what is going on too and help prevent any scheme in the making. I am not trying to get away; I do want to help. Can we do this together?"

"Yes," Billy extended a hand, "Let's shake on it."

When they grasped each other's hand, a rumbling suddenly shook the ground. They jumped away just as a shoot broke the grassy lawn beneath their feet and rose into the sky. Mere minutes later a glorious olive tree stood in the night wind, far-reaching branches and thick leaves weaving together the canopy of a divine hall.

"Is that… _Miracle Fertilizer_?" Billy exclaimed incredulously, for he could sense the spell, suddenly waking to bring forth life, though he was at a loss why.

Chiharu's eyes were wide like saucers, this being clearly something new to her as well. She seemed to be thinking furiously, and finally she said, "_Miracle Fertilizer_ is a continuous spell that works every turn, maybe that is why? Maybe there was a dead tree stump or root underneath the lawn, and we somehow resurrected the tree? I am sorry, I haven't used _Miracle Fertilizer _before either, but I would hope I have better control than that."

"I don't have your experience or control with this power," Billy sighed, "We will add that to the to-do list, then: some training for me, and testing exactly what this power can do, for the both of us."

* * *

No one was impressed by this partnership. Oh sure, every member of the Wayne household has been momentarily impressed by the glorious olive tree, for it was a thing of beauty, but no one was impressed by this newly forged partnership—almost friendship—between Billy and a dangerously powerful ten-year old.

"She is a fourth-grader," Damian said with mild disgust, "A little girl. A crazy unstable _little girl_."

Billy rolled his eyes, "And no, she does not have cooties."

"Oh don't be childish, Batson. I am simply pointing out her extreme juvenility—how long has she spent out of diapers?"

"She does speak three languages and her vocabulary in English equals mine at least," Billy shrugged his shoulders with a small smile, "Look, I was ten when I started, yeah? She is powerful enough to play with the big league, and she is an extremely smart kid. I think I work well with her, really. We only spent a single evening together and already we have a detailed to-do list." With that Billy flipped open a notebook, brandishing it in the air for them to look at.

"You are showing us blank pages," Bruce pointed out, withholding a sigh of annoyance.

"Eh?" Billy stared at his notebook for a couple seconds before laughing, "Oh yeah, forgot about it, we have concealment and protection spells on the notebook, so it is indestructible and reveals nothing to others. We each put a spell on there. See? Already an advantage working with her: disarming either one of our magic seems doable for a powerful sorcerer, but I highly doubt anyone—and I mean _anyone_—can hack through both of our spells."

Bruce frowned a little; somehow he did not like the sound of that statement.

"Then you will have to explain in words, what you and the crazy little girl actually discussed and came up with in your oh-so-happy partnership," Damian quipped.

"Well, we exchanged information and I now have some answers. The kryptonite she is wearing? Not kryptonite, but a synthetic crystal, by-product of Fudo Energy's number 13 fusion reactor design. She said Mr. Fudo already talked to father about it? Oh and she gave me some for power enhancement too."

Bruce's frown deepened, so Billy gave him the puppy dog eyes.

"That substance really is not harmful in any way I swear. You have had time to analyze it yourself, right? Look, father, I do need that stuff. It's not just a power enhancer, it helps with control and precision too. Not that I have anything against the new olive tree outside my window, but I am trying to _not_ sprout a tree every time Chiharu and I meet. I _really _want to avoid resurrection magic, even if we are just resurrecting trees."

"_Resurrection_," Bruce intoned. The look on his face turned even more incredulous.

"Did I not mention that's what we think happened with Poison Ivy?"

"No. You were in a coma for _four days_, and after you woke you simply rambled on about getting back to work and questioning criminals."

"Oh."

Being Billy, he had the good grace to blush a little. Taking a deep breath, he started from the beginning, saying, "I am sorry, but here is a better explanation, from the beginning."

So Billy took his time explaining every detail: first the spirit realm of duel monsters, where undead creatures and spells of unimaginable power reside; then about psychic duelists and the warning of a new unknown psychic duelist of immense strength; finally the spell that most likely killed Poison Ivy and his own spell that brought her back. He hesitated a few moments about sharing Poison Ivy's strange condition of literally following every word he or Chiharu mutters, but in the end he decided to tell all of it.

"I am pretty sure Poison Ivy had absolutely no knowledge of nor any connection to psychic duelists before. I don't think she would dream of kidnapping Chiharu if she had any inkling. And I have no idea what is happening to her. Nobody seems to know, neither Chiharu nor Minerva. They told me a successful resurrection where the caster and the target are all alive just never happened before."

"It does make sense," Damian spoke up, "If you summon a monster from wherever to our world, that creature obeys you every command, right? So if you resurrect a dead with magic from that game isn't it also a summon? Why shouldn't the reborn creature also heed your every whim? I would think it's obvious."

Billy opened his mouth but no sound came out; he breathed, tried to speak, but gave up and closed his mouth once more. The youth looked dumbfounded; devastated, almost.

After a drawn out silence Bruce asked softly, eyes intent on his child, "Can you fix it?"

"_Owner's Seal_? _Remove Brianwashing?" _Billy muttered the names of a few spells, but he became even more agitated, "But those spells only shift the control to someone else. I, I don't know how it would all play out when this magic interacts with the physical world, but in the game, a monster is _always _under someone's control, or else dead…No, no, this can't be it. I will try something; maybe it will work, I have got to try…"

"Breathe, Billy," Bruce instructed.

Billy took a deep breath, but he was still far from calm. His face was pale, and for the first time in a very long while he looked distinctively frightened. So Bruce changed subject, "Let us shelf the issue of Poison Ivy for now; she is not around in any case. What other plans did you and the young lady make?"

So Billy continued distractedly, "Right, our plan. We have to figure out why three psychic duelists powerful enough to pull off a killing spell attacked Poison Ivy. The whole thing is just so bizarre, there has to be something sinister behind it. Damian, you went after those three right? I was hoping you can catch me up, and then maybe I can work this case. Chiharu said she will ask her father to talk to some contacts and see if they can figure out who those three are. We still have to look into that new psychic duelist we have been warned about. Unfortunately, we know nothing about that person, except that she or he exists and is probably the most powerful psychic duelist ever. Chiharu and I are thinking of testing some spells to track him, which means we will need training."

"Training?" Damian's eyebrows shot up instantly, "Who can possibly train you two to create fantastic creatures from _cardboard_?"

Billy shrugged, "She can train me. In any case it will be more testing than training, to see how much we can do with this power. I plan to ask the Green Lantern Corps to find me a nice empty planet system to use as testing ground, so don't worry, it will be safe."

Bruce actually glared, while Damian snickered and declared, masking his eagerness with an imperious voice, "I must accompany you then."

There was an exasperated sigh, but this time it came from Alfred, who just walked in bearing tea and fruit, "Master William, you really ought to reconsider your conception of 'safe'. And you must have chaperons for space travel, until you are eighteen at least, the same goes for you, Damian."

"But…"

"No but, young men!"

* * *

Even the Wayne Manor was peacefully asleep at three in the morning. Gotham had been quiet of late and the patrol was brief and uneventful. But Billy could not sleep; every fiber of his being was worrying about Poison Ivy. What was happening to her? What exactly did it mean to be "destroyed" by a spell like _Fragrance Storm_ and then resurrected? What were the consequences? Billy rolled around once more and sighed. There was no rest, so he climbed out of bed and went onto the balcony, staring at cloudy night sky. He had told Poison Ivy to stay far away from Gotham, so where was she now? Was she being held outside of Gotham against her will?

He took a few deep breaths as if trying to make up his mind, then he spoke in a low but clear voice, "Pamela Isley, known as Poison Ivy, come before me. Meet me at Gotham's botanical garden as the sun rises."

He did feel it as he pronounced those words, that tingling sensation normally associated with magic, but nothing else changed. The sky was as cloudy as ever, and not a wisp of wind stirred. It was hard to tell whether it worked or not. Billy stood on the balcony for a little longer, then returned to his room to ready his suit and set his alarm for an hour before sunrise. Then feeling wearier than ever, he threw himself in bed and promptly fell asleep.

Billy-or rather, Eaglet-in his full regalia set out an hour before sunrise, and was unsurprisingly waylaid on his own balcony. Damian perched on the balcony railing in his Robin uniform, cloak flapping in the night wind, expression clearly annoyed despite the mask obscuring half of his face.

"You really thought I would let you run off all alone?" Robin glared at him, "If you want to hack your missions alone, don't be stuck in coma for four days."

Eaglet stared at his brother with utter amazement. "How can you see me? I have a camouflaging spell on!"

Robin smirked, suddenly dangling some sparkling jewel in front of his masked face, "Amulet of Clear Eyes, curtesy of the League, without their knowledge of course. This is the _third_ time you pulled that camouflage; you can't possibly think you can still get away with it."

"The _fourth_ time, actually," Good natured he might be, Eaglet smirked right back here, "You are not as all-powerful as you think, Robin."

Robin obviously rolled his eyes underneath the mask, before saying, "Do you want to leave or not? Knowing you, there must be some kind of magical time limit."

They flipped over the wall of Gotham Botanical Garden just as the first ray of light from a newly risen sun shot up from behind the line of grey skyscrapers. It was deathly quiet inside the botanical garden, not even a warbler stirred. Eaglet was ready to call out for Poison Ivy to appear when he heard the sound of a sword slicing through something. He snapped around, just in time to see Robin and cut a creeping green vine clean in two. The next second everything exploded, and a mass of green things surrounded them, every leave trying to make the kill shot. Poison Ivy was somewhere deep inside this green sea, her inhumane figure hidden by crazed plants.

"Eaglet!" Damian roared, and in the span of that single word dealt three skill strokes with his blade, "What did I do to deserve you?! You better deal with this _right now_!"

"Okay, and I am sorry alright?" Eaglet took a deep breath, and shouted into the fray, "Poison Ivy, stop!"

Something in the air snapped, and then everything stilled. Poison Ivy stood behind a small shoot, now frozen in the midst of an angry motion, her arm out stretched, her face locked into a horrified and enraged expression. The green things all around her stopped dead still in the midst of the frenzy as well, flowers half blooming, leaves just uncurled, and vines suspended mid-lurch. Poison Ivy looked almost like some bizarre fantastic artwork. Eaglet raced towards Poison Ivy, somehow he felt his chest so constricted with pain and terror he could barely breathe.

"Listen, I'm trying to fix this too, Poison Ivy, and you have to work with me here," He said hurriedly, "You can move, but don't attack, please."

If looks could kill Eaglet would fall over in a heartbeat. Poison Ivy stared at the teenager with the fury of a soul in unimaginable torment.

"You are trying to fix this?" The plant woman shrieked, "This, whatever _this _is, it's your doing, you and that little witch..."

"Don't call her that. We didn't mean this, we were only trying to save you," Eaglet murmured defensively.

"Save? Save?!" Poison Ivy's shriek grew even more shrill, "You stupid little brat, I'm going to kill you slowly and painfully, and that little—" She stopped there, because she was forbidden from applying that word to Chiharu, so she let out a frustrated scream and lunged at Eaglet.

"That's enough. Be still; let me fix this, at least let me try!"

For one more and the last time Eaglet embraced his terrifying pejorative. While everything green stilled once more and a seething expression full of hate froze on Poison Ivy's face, Eaglet closed his eyes and concentrated. This was going to work, he had to believe it.

"Spell activate, _Owner's Seal_!"

Magic exploded in a tangible mini tornado. Eaglet raised his hand and a glorious magical circle traced with eerie green light spun into being at his finger tip. The power of the spell radiated away from him and filled every inch of space around him, flying beyond the boundary of the Botanical Garden. Eaglet slowly opened his eyes, looking through the green glowing magic circle at Poison Ivy, who was still staring at him with that same furious hateful expression.

The light of the spell died down. It was done, but he did not know whether it was done as he had hoped. The night was silent, and all the green things remained like statues, and Poison Ivy was as still as ever. Eaglet felt his heart sinking.

"Can you move?" Eaglet whispered, more despairing than uncertain.

"No, I cannot move, you little twit, you told me to stay still!"

Eaglet stared at the plant woman, an utterly devastated look now on his masked face. He was the Champion of Magic, the Mightiest Mortal on Earth, the son of a billionaire and Batman, and even without such trappings he was a powerful sorcerer in his own right. He commanded Zeus's lightning and undead creatures. There were few things that he could not fix with a simple snap of his fingers. Yet here he was, imbued with every power and powerless. He could only stand there, staring at Poison Ivy and despairing.

"Let me go!"

Eaglet finally woke from his stunned desperation.

"You… You can go," The teenager whispered, "You can go, Ivy. I don't mean to control you, I don't want to; I wouldn't want to do that to anyone. Nor would Chiharu. Listen, we can still find a way, we need to keep trying... "

But Poison Ivy did not hear any of these guilt-ridden words. She raced away as soon as she was released from this unrelenting bind, and Eaglet would not dare to even beg her to stay and listen.


End file.
